In 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama articulated his vision for the future of American space exploration, which included an eventual manned mission to Mars. Such an endeavor would surely cost hundreds of billions of dollars -- maybe even $1 trillion.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave these remarks on January 17, 2012, regarding plans for an International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities.

The Treaty on Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and of the Threat or Use of Force Against Outer Space Objects (PPWT) was first proposed by China and Russia in February 2008 as an international legally binding treaty that would outlaw the weaponization of space.

The draft Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities was published by the EU in 2008 with a revised draft released in September 2010. Among its concerns, the draft takes "into account that space debris constitutes a threat to outer space activities and potentially limits the effective deployment and exploitation of associated space capabilities" and strives for "the formation of a set of best practices aimed at ensuring security in outer space could become a useful complement to international space law".

As countries around the world increasingly rely on space, orbital space debris poses a rapidly growing threat to civil, military, and commercial satellites. Micah Zenko argues for an international code to define interstate behavior and promote sustainable conduct in outer space.

Micah Zenko says orbital space debris is a growing threat to civil, military, and commercial satellites in space, and mitigating the threat it poses to these satellites and spacecraft will require enhanced international cooperation.

NASA's human spaceflight ventures may be fading away due to continued underfunding, despite perennial efforts by some members of Congress and the science community, reports Keith Perine.

Peter A. Garretson examines whether space-based solar power is the next major step in the Indo-U.S. strategic partnership.

Each year, the Council invites members to bring their guests of high school-age and older to a special "Daughters and Sons" meeting. These events feature topics and speakers with cross-generational appeal. This spring, as NASA prepares to retire its space shuttle program, join NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr., for a discussion of the intersection of space, technology, and U.S. foreign policy.

Peter A. Garretson outlines actions that the Obama administration should take on space policy.

Peter A. Garretson argues that science fiction is an underappreciated tool in grand strategy.

Peter A. Garretson discusses the possibility that satellites in orbit can be a source of energy for the future.

Peter A. Garretson discusses the launch of orbiting solar collectors into space as a solution for energy security and climate change.

Bruce W. MacDonald, author of the Council Special Report China, Space Weapons, and U.S. Security testifies before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and focuses on three questions: 1) Does U.S. overall space policy advance space security? 2) Does the United States invest resources so as to best protect and defend space assets? 3) What role can diplomacy play in advancing space security?

James Lovelock, the originator of the Gaia theory, which describes Earth as a self-regulating planet, has a stark view of the future of humanity.

In this report, Bruce W. MacDonald illuminates the strategic landscape of military space competition between the United States and China and highlights the dangers and opportunities the United States confronts in space.

Charles D. Ferguson and Bruce W. MacDonald argue that by demonstrating its anti-satellite capability, the U.S. “was stepping briefly across a dangerous threshold, undercutting American and international criticism of China and threatening an arms race in space.”

The panelists will discuss the October 4, 1957 launching of the Soviet satellite, Sputnik, its impact on the Cold War, and its role in propelling the Information Age.

Matthew Brzezinski, an author and former Wall Street Journal Moscow correspondent, and Roger D. Lanius, a space historian at the Smithsonian Institute, discuss the legacy of Sputnik fifty years after the Soviet satellite’s launch.