Over the last two decades, the image of the U.S. space program has become seriously tarnished. Its problems have ranged from massive cost overruns to serious program delays to catastrophic mission failures. The space program, once the most prominent symbol of American scientific and technological preeminence, now seems but one more example of government bumbling, extravagance, and waste. In this study, Kay examines the recent problems of the space program and finds that NASA's failures, like its earlier successes, are ultimately traceable to the way the American political system operates....
Over the last two decades, the image of the U.S. space program has become seriously tarnished. Its problems have ranged from massive cost overruns ...
Most observers would point to the 1969 Apollo moon landing as the single greatest accomplishment of NASA, yet prominent scientists, engineers, and public officials were questioning the purpose of the U.S. space program, even at the height of its national popularity. Defining NASA looks at the turbulent history of the space agency and the political controversies behind its funding. W. D. Kay examines the agency's activities and behavior by taking into account not only the political climate, but also the changes in how public officials conceptualize space policy. He explores what policymakers...
Most observers would point to the 1969 Apollo moon landing as the single greatest accomplishment of NASA, yet prominent scientists, engineers, and pub...
Since the opening of the space age nearly 50 years ago, the U.S. government has spent close to 1 trillion dollars on space related activities. Although by no means the largest public expenditure over that period- it is easily dwarfed by national defense, social security, and countless other federal programs- it is still, by any measure, an enormous amount of money. It therefore seems perfectly reasonable to ask: what has the American taxpayer gotten in return for this rather large investment
Since the opening of the space age nearly 50 years ago, the U.S. government has spent close to 1 trillion dollars on space related activities. Althoug...
