SPACE TOPIC OVERVIEW

DR. RYAN W. GALLOWAYSAMFORD UNIVERSITY

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Topic WordingTopic WordingRESOLVED: THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE ITS EXPLORATION AND/OR DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE BEYOND THE EARTH’S MESOSPHERE.

Lecture OverviewLecture OverviewFour Questions:

1) What?2) Where?3) How Much?4) Who?

Question 1: What?Question 1: What?EXPLORATION AND/OR DEVELOPMENT OF SPACETERM 1: EXPLORATION

MEANING : scientific investigation or searching

DISTINCT FROM MERELY USING SPACE

Term 2: DevelopmentTerm 2: DevelopmentDevelopment: to improve existing resourcesChristine Lindberg, (Editor), OXFORD COLLEGE DICTIONARY, 2nd Ed., 2007, 380. Develop: Construct or convert so as to improve existing resources.

What constitutes “developing” space resources?

Experiments in space?Militarizing space?Building missile defenses in space?

Term 3: of spaceTerm 3: of spaceEXPLORATION AND/OR DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE

IS LAUNCHING A SATELLITE TO EXPLORE EARTH TOPICAL?

Question 2: Where?Question 2: Where?BEYOND THE MESOSPHERE

MESOSPHERE IS THE LAYER OF THE EARTH’SATMOSPHERE FROM 50KM TO ABOUT 80KM

Two QuestionsTwo QuestionsControversies:1) Exclusively beyond?Are telescopes on Earth Topical?

2) Is beyond literal or figurative?Can you “transcend” the

mesosphere?

Question 3: How Much?Question 3: How Much?SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASEControversy One: How much isSubstantially?One measure: quantitative.Clara Moskowitz, 2011NASA will have to make do with about $18.5 billion, putting its budget roughly $240 million below last year's funding level. (April 15, 2011. “NASA's 2011 Budget Should Allow Flexibility Despite Cuts.” Online.

Accessed May 9, 2011 at http://www.space.com/11411-nasa-2011-budget-cuts-constellation-funding.html)

Quantitative Quantitative Interpetations:Interpetations:In the context of science policy, “Substantially” means at least

thirty percent.…solar gets a pretty substantial increase, about a 30 percent increase right now. Dan Kammen, (founding director, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory), 2010

“President Obama's Science Spending.” February 5, 2010. Online. Accessed May 8, 2011

at http://www.wbur.org/npr/123410020/president-obamas-science-spending)

*Lots of different percentage based definitions exist

Percentage Based Percentage Based DefinitionsDefinitionsStrengths:1) Limits the AFF to large cases…2) Provides the NEG ground to run disadvantages, etc.

Weaknesses:1) Arbitrary: difficult to figure out what

percentage to use 2) Not contextualized to space

exploration and development (hard to contextualize either)

Non-percentage based Non-percentage based definitionsdefinitionsControversy 2: Is there a qualitative way to measure substantially?

Unconditionally: Mean we do it without any precondition…

"Substantially: Essentially; without material qualification…”[Don Blewett, 1976 (Chairperson California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, Young v. Laura Scudder’s Pet, Inc. January 29, 1976. www.cuiab.ca.gov/precedent/pb181.doc.)]

Thoughts on IncreaseThoughts on IncreaseControversy 3: Can you create a

new program?Increase can bedistinct from createDon’t spend money on solar powered satellitesis that topical?

Controversy 4: Controversy 4: Net Net IncreaseIncreaseNet increase: meaning notrade-offs…Increase: Term “increase…” refers to “net increase…”

WORDS AND PHRASES CUMULATIVE SUPPLEMENTARY PAMPHLET, Vol. 20A, 07, 309.

Net increase in space exploration or development…utilizing existing

resources or trading off within NASA’sbudget isn’t topical.

Question 4: Who?Question 4: Who?THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT…ITS EXPLORATION AND/OR DEVELOPMENT

WHAT DO THESETERMS MEAN?

Controversy 1: Federal Controversy 1: Federal governmentgovernmentThree branches of governmentLegislative, Executive, Judicial

BUT…

NASA & other executive NASA & other executive agenciesagenciesExecutive agenciesNASANational Aeronautics and Space Administrationis an executive branch agency of the United States government,

responsible for the nation's civilian space

program[wikipedia]

[wikipedia]

Other AgenciesOther AgenciesDOD: Department of DefenseDOD: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationscientific agency within the federal government focused on the conditions of the oceans and

the atmosphere.

““ItsIts” Exploration and/or ” Exploration and/or developmentdevelopmentControversy 1: Are private actors allowed?Its: Belonging to or connected with the thing or animal mentioned; the possessive form of it. Carol-June Cassidy, (Managing Editor), CAMBRIDGE DICTIONARY OF

AMERICAN ENGLISH, 2nd Ed., 2008, 464.

Photovoltaic power is so attractive that, in the long run, it is likely to be developed by private industry regardless of U.S. government policy. The question really is when and by whom?

Eban Goodstein, (Prof., Economics, Lewis & Clark College), ECONOMICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT, 2008, 399.

Controversy 2: Other Controversy 2: Other countries?countries?

Are cooperativeapproaches allowed?

Joint exploration withRussia, China, EU?

Are these “its” exploration?

Concluding RemarksConcluding RemarksKnowing the words in the

resolution is key to debating them

Make sure you have definitions of every term

Make sure you think about how the terms can work for you…and against you…