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| THE DAWN OF THE SPACE AGE October 13, 1997 |
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Return to this forum's introduction.
Questions answered in this forum:What technological advances were achieved by the Russians when they launched Sputnik? Why did the Russians bet America into space? Did Sputnik undermine America's trust in its government? What were servicemen told when Sputnik was launched? Where will the next Sputnik come from? Was Sputnik's real legacy economic? Can anything replace the Cold War as a motivation for space exploration?
Larry Klaes of Arlington, MA, asks: Now that the Cold War is supposedly ending, what else can replace it to get us onto the Moon again in person and on to Mars? And beyond? Thank you.
Haynes Johnson, journalist and author, responds:
Absent another international crisis, or new "Cold War" that Americans believe threatens their survival, I see no single factor that will recommit the nation to the kinds of massive economic spending that began with Sputnik and continued on through the manned space program, including, of course, the landing on the moon.
But I do believe that the new technology--the computer, the Internet and beyond--plus a generation coming of age with the exploration of space will continue to want to press for further efforts, We still believe in new frontiers, and cliché though it may be, none is greater than space.
Dr. Keith Benson of the History of Science Society responds:
My personal opinion is that "cooler" and more rational perspectives should prevail and future space exploration should be done by robotics. There is no real justification for placing humans in space other than to state that we can do it. We can learn as much or more about space with remote sensing devices, various optical instruments, and robotic roving vehicles--all at a fraction of the cost (the rocketry needs to be much smaller) and at a fraction of the risk.
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