Applying Space Technology to Global Change: Values, Institutions and Decisions

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Studies in Science, Technology and Society (SSTS) supports research about the intellectual and value contexts that govern the development and use of science and technology. Ethics and Values Studies, in SSTS, supports research on ethical and value aspects of the interaction between science, technology and society. This research project seeks to understand how governmental decision making, differing values, and institutional mechanisms influence the development and deployment of new satellite technologies. In particular, this project focuses on the effort to study and protect planet earth, embodied in the emerging Global Change program. This effort requires space monitoring, and NASA is currently sponsoring a "Mission to Earth" program to develop and deploy satellites for this purpose. This project will examine the role of "advocacy coalitions" in moving technology from development to use. Advocacy coalitions can be comprised of developers, users, providers, funders, and other affected parties. The research uses the case of Mission to Earth and two others -- weather satellites and land satellites (Landsat) to explore how values of these parties come into conflict and whether and how the conflicts are resolved. Weather satellites are generally regarded as a successful linkage of technological development with earth observation. Institutional relationships were established between developers and users at national and international scales. Maintained and built over the years, these relationships satisfy providers, funders and an enormous variety of other affected groups. In contrast, the land satellite program has been called a "soap opera" from the standpoint of government management of a new earth monitoring technology. Since land observations are critical to Global Change plans, the reasons behind Landsat's relative under-utilization are as important to understand as those behind the comparatively strong exploitation of the weather satellite. A comparative examination of governmental decision making will explore systematically the institutional dynamics of applying space technology to monitoring planet earth. It will identify institutional models that may assist in the consideration of policy alternatives for developing and deploying this technology in the service of studying and protecting the earth's environment. Results will be reported in professional journals and at conferences, and presentations to federal policymakers concerned with issues of Global Change will be arranged. This research has an important and timely focus; its results will be useful and accessible to a wide audience. The qualifications and track record of the investigator are excellent; institutional support is good; the research plan is sensible. Support is highly recommended.