Watch this Space

Amid the buzz about the upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review and deliberations about the Pentagon's strategic realignment in an Obama administration, the congressionally mandated Space Posture Review marks another review worth watching this year.

Michèle Flournoy, in line to be the under secretary of defense for policy, considers the topic important enough that she said she would play a "leading role" in the drill. This is according to written answers she provided to the Senate Armed Services Committee in preparation of her confirmation hearing yesterday.

Lawmakers requested the Space Posture Review, a joint effort between the Defense Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, in the fiscal year 2009 defense authorization legislation. A final report is due to Congress on Dec. 1.

The ten-year outlook is supposed to touch on virtually everything space-related, including the topics of space situational awareness, offensive and defensive space operations, acquisition and arms control, according to the legislation.