By G. Ryan Faith, Vincent Sabathier, and Lyn Wigbels
June 1, 2007

Full report

With the age of globalization, increased connectivity is increasingly the rule.  To make efficient use of this trend and remain competitive both economically and technologically, interoperability becomes a necessity. In many disciplines, such as information technology, aerospace, and software, interoperability has become an essential and fundamental requirement.  Yet this same type of integration is still relatively rare within the space exploration field itself – countries have few common standards, definitions, practices, or objectives.  For space exploration to be successful and sustainable, space exploration must absorb and implement the lessons and best practices of interoperability from other sectors. 

To address this issue the Human Space Exploration Initiative (HSEI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Center for Aerospace Policy Research of the School of Public Policy at George Mason University, and the American Astronautical Society co-organized a major international seminar on Interoperability and Space Exploration at the Arlington Campus of George Mason University near Washington, DC. 

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