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Abstract: Political and technical concerns are tightly intertwined in the design of modern space systems. The political environment often responds harshly to the associated high costs of these endeavors. Political sustainability is therefore at least as important as the technical performance parameters of new space systems under development. This paper outlines a methodology by which a system architect may trace the recursive impacts of political choice on technical choice, and vice versa. Using the implementation of the Vision for Space Exploration as a case study, a Policy–Technology Feedback loop is outlined. This paper then demonstrates how political sustainability may be incorporated into the design process such that a politically savvy system architect may appropriately trade present costs against future costs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new era of space exploration has begun that may soon expand into a global endeavor mainly driven by socio-economic motives. Currently the main space powers, namely the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, Canada as well as new rising space powers China and India, are pursuing national exploration programs to explore robotically and later with humans the Earth–Moon–Mars space. New axes of partnerships and cooperation mechanisms have emerged in the last decades. However, in order to achieve highly ambitious goals such as establishing human bases on the Moon, journeys to Mars and the construction of new infrastructures in space, international space cooperation has to be optimized to reduce costs and reap the benefits of worldwide expertise. Future ambitious space exploration endeavors are a long-term undertaking that could influence countries to look beyond their own interests and see the advantages that a larger program can bring. This paper provides new concepts for managing global space exploration in the framework of cross-cultural management, an element often neglected in the planning of future partnerships. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]