A Compendium of RAND Space-Related Publications 2024 to 2026

RAND has long occupied an important position in the public policy research ecosystem, producing reports, commentary, research briefs, testimony, proceedings, tools, and external publications that help frame debates on national security, technology, governance, economics, and public policy. For readers following space policy and the space economy, RAND’s publication archive is a useful way to track how space-related issues are being studied across defense, civil, commercial, and international policy domains.

This article provides a curated list of RAND publications from 2024 through 2026. The collection reflects the breadth of space-related policy work during a period of rapid change in the sector. Topics include U.S. Space Force organization and acquisition, allied space cooperation, space traffic management, cislunar governance, commercial space integration, dual-use space systems, Earth observation, space domain awareness, nuclear and cyber risks affecting satellites, and the strategic behavior of China, Russia, NATO, and other space actors.

The list also shows how space policy is increasingly connected to adjacent policy areas. RAND’s publications include work on artificial intelligence, critical infrastructure, workforce development, defense acquisition, climate monitoring, public safety, and international competition. That breadth is useful because modern space activity no longer sits in a narrow technical lane. Space systems now support communications, intelligence, navigation, weather forecasting, disaster response, financial networks, logistics, national defense, and commercial services that affect everyday life.

For policymakers, investors, researchers, entrepreneurs, and space-sector observers, this compendium offers a starting point for exploring RAND’s recent work on the evolving space environment. It can help readers identify reports worth reading in full, compare recurring policy themes, and understand how RAND frames emerging questions about space security, commercialization, international governance, and technological change.

2025 RAND Wrap-Up: Research That Defined Our Year (rand.org)

A Brief Guide to Workforce Statistics: For Airmen and Guardians (rand.org)

A Comparative Analysis of Choices and Trade-Offs in U.S. Department of Defense and People’s Liberation Army Military Research, Development, and Acquisition Programs: Theory, Method, and Experimental Design (rand.org)

A Defining Year for Space: Why the U.S. and Europe Must Unite or Fall Behind (rand.org)

A Framework for Examining Global Posture to Enable Agile and Responsive Operations (rand.org)

A Real Negotiation Process (rand.org)

Advanced Academic Education in the U.S. Space Force: Strategies for Developing a Technical Workforce (rand.org)

AI-Enhanced Decision-Making Capabilities in a Noncooperative Social Welfare Optimization Game (rand.org)

Alignment of U.S. Space Force Military Human Capital Management Functions: A Qualitative Review (rand.org)

Allied by Design: Defining a Path to Thoughtful Allied Space Power (rand.org)

An Update on Research Into Operationalizing an International Space Traffic Management Organization (rand.org)

Are AI Companies Actually Ready to Play God? (rand.org)

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Space Domain Awareness: Characterizing the Impact on Mission Effectiveness (rand.org)

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Space Domain Awareness: The Development of Two Artificial Intelligence Case Studies (rand.org)

Assessing Benefits and Risks Between the Space Economies and the Sustainable Development Goals (rand.org)

Assessing the Impact of U.S. Air Force National Security Space Launch Acquisition Decisions: 2023 Update (rand.org)

Assessing the Value of Publicly Funded Earth Observation Programmes in the United Kingdom (rand.org)

Breaking Down the Federal Budget: New Tools from RAND (rand.org)

Can a DAF-Wide Approach to Talent Management Meet the Needs of the USSF and USAF Acquisition Workforce? (rand.org)

Can Brazil Become a Regional Space Power? (rand.org)

Can Humans Devise Practical Safeguards That Are Reliable Against an Artificial Superintelligent Agent? (rand.org)

Challenges When Collaborating with China on Space Research and Technology: Common Practices and Risks (rand.org)

Charting a Path to Thoughtful Allied Space Power: Allied by Design (rand.org)

Charting the Cosmos: Operational Astrography for the New Space Era (rand.org)

China and Space: How Space Technologies Boost China's Intelligence Capabilities as Part of Hybrid Threats (rand.org)

China Is Going to the Moon by 2030. Here's What's Known About the Mission—and Why It Matters (rand.org)

China's Growing Risk Tolerance in Space: People's Liberation Army Perspectives and Escalation Dynamics (rand.org)

Chinese Academy of Sciences Directory (rand.org)

Chinese Military Views of Low Earth Orbit: Proliferation, Starlink, and Desired Countermeasures (rand.org)

Considerations for Regulating the Commercial Human Spaceflight Market: Lessons for Balancing Market Growth and Public Safety (rand.org)

Core Anomalous Experiences Shared Across Diverse Citizen Science Datasets (rand.org)

Cross-cutting Technologies in Chinese Space Activities: Raising the Risk of Hybrid Threats (rand.org)

Decisive Economic Advantage: Modeling the Transition from Temporary First-Mover Leads to Economic Dominance in Artificial General Intelligence (rand.org)

Developing the Department of the Air Force Military Workforce of the Future: Implications from the 2023 Air Force Global Futures Report (rand.org)

Digital Dams: How U.S.-Brazil AI Cooperation Could Help America's AI Ambitions Flow (rand.org)

Dispersed, Disguised, and Degradable: The Implications of the Fighting in Ukraine for Future U.S.-Involved Conflicts (rand.org)

Don't Be Fooled, Advanced Chips Are Important for National Security (rand.org)

Duality in Space (rand.org)

Dune and Decisionmaking: The Classic's Sci Fi Connection with RAND (rand.org)

Emerging Technology and Risk Analysis: The Space Domain and Critical Infrastructure (rand.org)

Enabling Human Security from Space: Using Space Force Capabilities to Better Humanity (rand.org)

Enhancing Air Force Lethality: Workforce Segmentation as a Tool for Funding Realignment (rand.org)

Enhancing Space Mission Assurance to Cyber Threats: Findings and Recommendations for the U.S. Space Force (rand.org)

Ethics in Global Competition Over Military AI (rand.org)

Evaluating the benefits of the UK’s investments in the European Space Agency (rand.org)

Evaluating the Impact of Changes to the Air Force Officer and Enlisted Evaluation Systems (rand.org)

Evaluation of the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI): Evaluation Plan (rand.org)

Evaluation of the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI): Interim Report (rand.org)

Evaluation of the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation: Final report (rand.org)

Exploring Duality in Space: How Select Countries Approach Dual-Use Space Systems (rand.org)

Exploring Factors for U.S.-Russia Crisis Stability in Space (rand.org)

Facing the Flames: Harnessing Technology to Combat Wildfire (rand.org)

Filling the General Officer Ranks in the U.S. Space Force: Overcoming Promotions Challenges in a Small Service (rand.org)

Five Priorities for Advancing NATO's Space Mission (rand.org)

From AI to the Arctic, Understanding the Future of Security: Q&A with Barry Pavel (rand.org)

General Officers, Career Field Sustainability, Training Pipelines, and the Civilian Workforce of the U.S. Space Force: Considered Options to Enhance Structure and Configuration (rand.org)

Germany's €35 Billion Bet on Military Space Capability (rand.org)

Getting Space Acquisition Right: Steps to Realize Enduring Change (rand.org)

Getting Strategic Competition Right: Competing for the System (rand.org)

Golden Dome Could Learn from SDI Politics (rand.org)

How Russia Is Intercepting Communications from European Satellites (rand.org)

How to Prevent Catastrophe in Outer Space (rand.org)

Implications of Emerging Technology for UK Space Regulation Policy: Findings of a Horizon Scan (rand.org)

Improving Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis Across the U.S. Space Force System Life Cycle (rand.org)

Improving Sense-Making with Artificial Intelligence (rand.org)

Improving Space-Related Science and Technology Processes for the U.S. Space Force (rand.org)

Independent Assessment of the Defense Business Enterprise Architecture (rand.org)

Industry Insights on Digital Engineering and Defense Acquisition (rand.org)

Innovative Approaches to Enhancing Workforce Resilience in U.S. Space Command (rand.org)

Institutional Risk Analysis Maturity at the U. S. Department of Homeland Security: Risk Maturity Across Federal Organizations (rand.org)

Integrating Commercial Space Services into the DoD Architecture: Understanding Operational and Policy Implications (rand.org)

Integrating Variable-Time Work Within a U.S. Space Force Component (rand.org)

Is the Bar Higher for Scientific Claims of Alien Life? (rand.org)

Japan-NATO Ties: For What End? (rand.org)

Learning Creates Australia: Connecting Practice to Evidence (rand.org)

Lessons from the War in Ukraine for Space: Challenges and Opportunities for Future Conflicts (rand.org)

Managing AI's Economic Future: Strategic Automation Policy in an Era of Global Competition (rand.org)

Managing Space Acquisition as a Warfighting Capability (rand.org)

Maneuver in the Marketplace: The Changing Economic Dimension of Warfare (rand.org)

Manpower Analysis to Improve the Functional Alignment and Organizational Structure of Space Training and Readiness Command Headquarters (rand.org)

Mission Review: James Webb Space Telescope (rand.org)

Mission Review: Solar Orbiter (rand.org)

More Effective and Efficient Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis Across the U.S. Space Force System Life Cycle (rand.org)

Mysterious Objects from Other Stars Are Passing Through Our Solar System. Scientists Are Planning Missions to Study Them Up Close (rand.org)

NASA's Artemis II Mission Is Crucial as Doubts Build That America Can Beat China Back to the Moon (rand.org)

NATO Space Enterprise: Throttle Up or Fall Short (rand.org)

Navigating Duality in Space: Establishing a Foundational Understanding of Dual-Use Space Activities (rand.org)

Navigating the Kármán Line: Integrating Military Air and Space (rand.org)

Operational and Policy Implications of Integrating Commercial Space Services into U.S. Department of Defense Operations (rand.org)

Opportunities for an Artificial Intelligence–Focused Research Hub in Jackson, Mississippi (rand.org)

Orbitomics: Economic Ripple Effects of ISAM on Space Surveillance (rand.org)

Order in Orbit: Operationalizing an International Space Traffic Management Organization (rand.org)

Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution in Comparative Organizations: Volume 3, Case Studies of Selected Non-DoD Federal Agencies (rand.org)

Preparing the U.S. Coast Guard for an Uncertain Future in Space (rand.org)

Process Evaluation for the National Space Innovation Programme: Interim Report (rand.org)

Public Perceptions of 5G Technologies (rand.org)

Reassessing NASA's Lunar Ambitions (rand.org)

Recommended Approaches for General Officer Promotions in the U.S. Space Force: The Stars Above (rand.org)

Rethinking Space Force Personnel Reform: A Pragmatic, Agile Path Forward (rand.org)

Russian Space Strategy and Capabilities: A Tale of Decline (rand.org)

Space Governance and Social Network Analysis: A Brief Exploration (rand.org)

Space Strategic Stability: Assessing U.S. Concepts and Approaches (rand.org)

Strengthening Workforce Resilience in U.S. Space Command (rand.org)

Surveying Duality in Space: Volume I, Americas Workshop Insights on Developing, Deploying, and Governing Dual-Use Space Systems (rand.org)

Surveying Duality in Space: Volume II, Europe-Eurasia Workshop Insights on Developing, Deploying, and Governing Dual-Use Space Systems (rand.org)

Surveying Duality in Space: Volume III, Indo-Pacific Workshop Insights on Developing, Deploying, and Governing Dual-Use Space Systems (rand.org)

Telescopes, Not UFOs: Long-Term Investments in Space Science Are the Way to Find Alien Life (rand.org)

The Changing Nature of Entrepreneurship in the United States: Evidence from Shopify (rand.org)

The Expansion of China's Military Space and Counterspace Capabilities and Implications for Space as a Contested Domain (rand.org)

The Expansion of China's Military Space and Counterspace Capabilities and Implications for Space as a Contested Domain: Addendum (rand.org)

The Impact of Digital Engineering on Defense Acquisition and the Supply Chain: Insights from an Industry Survey (rand.org)

The Innovation System as a Disruptive Battlespace (rand.org)

The Path to Thoughtful Allied Space Power: Progress on a Steep Road (rand.org)

The Race to Mine the Moon Is On—And It Urgently Needs Some Clear International Rules (rand.org)

The Role of the Space Domain in the Russia-Ukraine War: The Impact of Converging Space and AI Technologies (rand.org)

The Space Enterprise and Integrated Deterrence (rand.org)

The UK's Space Dreams vs. South Korea's Reality—What Needs to Change? (rand.org)

The West's Shifting Stance on Russia Repeats History (rand.org)

Tracking Multinational Corporate Climate Action from Space: A Measurement Framework for Evaluating Supply Chain Policies using Satellite Monitoring and Climate Disclosures (rand.org)

Transforming Capability Requirements Development in the United States Space Force (rand.org)

Traversing the Kármán Line: Mitigating Potential Air-Space Friction (rand.org)

U.S. Space Force Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI): Recommendations for Organizational Roles, Responsibilities, and Authorities (rand.org)

U.S. Space Force Personnel Role Distinctions: Differentiating Between Officer, Enlisted, and Civilian (rand.org)

U.S. Space Policymaking in a New Era of Commercialization: From Launch to Lunar Operations (rand.org)

Why the United States Should Not Fear a Space Pearl Harbor (rand.org)

Wild Cards on the Lunar Table: Weak Signals in Cislunar Space Traffic Management (rand.org)

Will We Know if AI Takes Over? Q&A with Benjamin Boudreaux (rand.org)

Written Evidence Submitted by RAND Europe: SPA0043 RAND Europe Space Hub (RESH) (rand.org)