The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Commercial Space Is Not an Endless Field of Innovation: An Assessment of the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly
English Summary
The Mitchell Institute argues that while commercial space promises faster and cheaper options for U.S. national security, it should not be treated as an endless field of innovation. The assessment balances the benefits of private investment and expanded capacity against significant risks, including scaling challenges, high startup failure rates, and policy barriers. For commercial integration to successfully strengthen a hybrid space architecture, the report emphasizes that government acquisition must adopt a deliberate, strategic approach. Policy recommendations stress the need for stable funding, realistic requirements, rigorous testing, and robust collaborative relationships between government and industry.
中文摘要
米切爾研究所（Mitchell Institute）提出，儘管商業太空領域為美國國家安全提供了更快速、更經濟的選項，但它不應被視為一個無限的創新場域。本評估平衡了私人投資和擴大容量帶來的益處，與重大的風險，包括擴展挑戰、高新創失敗率以及政策壁壘。為使商業整合成功強化混合太空架構，報告強調政府採購必須採取審慎且具戰略性的方法。政策建議著重於穩定資金、制定務實的需求、進行嚴格的測試，以及政府與產業之間建立穩健的協作關係。
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