Military Space Activities: Highlights of the Rumsfeld Commission Report and Key Organization and Management Issues

Publication Date: February 2001

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

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Research Area: Military and defense

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Abstract:

Congress created three commissions in 1999 to assess certain aspects of space activities conducted by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Intelligence Community (IC). One of these, the Commission To Assess U.S. National Security Space Management and Organization, was chaired by Donald Rumsfeld and issued its report in January 200 1. Now that Mr. Rumsfeld is Secretary of Defense, the conclusions and recommendations of the "Rumsfeld Cornmission" are expected to receive increased attention. This report provides an overview of the Rumsfeld Commission's report and identifies key issues about the organization and management of national security space activities on which Congress is expected to focus. More information on military space activities, and brief summaries of the reports of the other two commissions (regarding the National Reconnaissance Office and the National Imagery and Mapping Agency), are in CRS Issue Brief IB92011. This report will not be updated.