As satellites orbit the Earth hundreds or thousands of kilometers above our heads, they quietly play a critical role in our daily lives, the global economy, and military power. To study space policy is to interrogate the decision-making processes for the civil, commercial, and military uses of outer space from the dawn of the space age to the modern day, spanning issues of international coordination, sustainability, and security in the domain. Through this course, students will learn about the diverse factors that have historically shaped space policy thinking, from the original rationales for spaceflight, to the birth of the commercial space industry, to the development of international systems that promote long-term stability in a rapidly densifying environment. 

By engaging with the debates and decisions that have shaped global space activities, students will gain an appreciation for the role of space technologies in global society, the critical challenges facing this domain, and the intricate politics driving contemporary space policy in both the United States and around the world.