This is historical material, "frozen in time." The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release March 31, 1999

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

White House Initiates Review on Space Launch Ranges

The White House announced today that it will initiate an interagency review on the future management and use of U.S. space launch bases and ranges. The review was called for in a memorandum from the President's Science and Technology Advisor, Dr. Neal Lane, and the President's National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger to the Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, Transportation, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Security Council will chair the review.

"Our civil and national security interests depend on access to space," said Neal Lane, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. "We must ensure that our management, modernization, and operational policies keep our U.S. launch industry competitive in an expanding global market. In keeping with our investments in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program and in reusable launch vehicle technology, this step will advance U.S. space transportation capabilities for the future."

The review will assess civil, commercial, and national security roles and responsibilities for operations, maintenance, improvement, and modernization at the space launch bases and ranges. The formal review will begin in April and produce interim recommendations as input for development of the FY 2001 budget.

30-30-30