Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Jan. 20, 2026
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Managing Space Traffic: It's Time for a Plan
Activity in outer space is accelerating fast. In fact, some estimates suggest that as many as 58,000 new satellites could be launched by 2030. That's 10 times the total number of satellites in orbit in 2022.
Managing this traffic is critical. Effective space traffic management would help avoid collisions, prevent conflict, and ensure the safe, sustainable use of space. Yet there is no international system to carry out this critical function.
A new RAND report offers a roadmap for how to fill this gap. The authors identify key steps for success, starting with establishing clear technical standards and information-sharing protocols. It's also essential for spacefaring nations, as well as space operators and space asset owners, to enhance coordination on collision avoidance and debris management.
Such actions are critical not just to help humanity use space in the immediate future, but to ensure the cosmos remains safe, sustainable, and secure for generations.
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What China's Demographics Mean for Its Military
China's population is shrinking and aging fast--a shift that could reshape its military future. In a new episode of Policy Minded, RAND's Mark Cozad explores this challenge facing Beijing and what it could mean for global security. If China manages to overcome these demographic obstacles and achieve its modernization goals, it will gain confidence. And as Cozad says, "A People's Liberation Army that is more confident and more willing to assert itself could become a much bigger problem for the United States."
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Pre-K Teachers Are Hesitant to Use AI
Generative AI is quickly spreading through America's public schools. But pre-kindergarten teachers have been slower to adopt these tools than other educators. Recent RAND survey data show that only 29 percent of pre-K teachers used AI last school year. That's compared with 42 percent of elementary teachers, 64 percent of middle school teachers, and 69 percent of high school teachers. Why the big gap? And how can policymakers ensure AI helps meet teachers' professional needs and students' developmental goals?
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** RAND Recommends
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- Most clicked last week: a bold strategy to help the United States regain the technological edge over China.
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- In case you missed it, we asked seven RAND experts about the ongoing crisis in Iran--and what might happen next.
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- Applications are open for the inaugural RAND/DARPA Geoeconomics Summer Study in Washington, D.C. The program is open to undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students.
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** Events
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Is Europe Prepared for AGI?
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 (Online)
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