Tag Archives: public policy
Thoughts on an Historical Essay Currently Underway: The Space Program and the Ideal of American Exceptionalism
I have been working on an essay, that I hope to publish someday with the following working title, “The Space Program and the Ideal of American Exceptionalism.” My definition of American exceptionalism emphasizes the perceived special national character of the U.S. as … Continue reading
Wednesday’s Book Review: “Why Mars”
Why Mars: NASA and the Politics of Space Exploration. By W. Henry Lambright. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014. Preface, introduction, conclusion, notes, index. Hardcover. Pp. ix – 320. USD $45.46. ISBN: 978-1-4214-1279-5. W. Henry Lambright’s Why Mars: NASA and the … Continue reading
Announcing: Space Policy and History Forum #13, September 22, 2014
If you are in Washington, D.C., on the afternoon of September 22, 2014, please consider attending the next Space Policy and History Forum, #13 in the series, at the National Air and space Museum. Information on the forum is below. After … Continue reading
The Railroad and the Space Program Revisited: Historical Analogues and the Stimulation of Commercial Space Operations
I am planning to give the paper, “The Railroad and the Space Program Revisited: Historical Analogues and the Stimulation of Commercial Space Operations,” at an upcoming conference entitled “Spinoffs of Mobility: Technology, Risk & Innovation.” This is the theme for … Continue reading
Announcing the Publication of “Hubble’s Legacy: Reflections by Those Who Dreamed It, Built It, and Observed the Universe with It”
David H. DeVorkin and I have just published a collected work on the history of the Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble’s Legacy: Reflections by Those Who Dreamed It, Built It, and Observed the Universe with It appeared in August 2014 (ISBN 978-1-935623-32-8) as part … Continue reading
The Legacy of Apollo: 45 Years On
July 2014 marks the forty-fifth anniversary of the epochal lunar landing of Apollo 11 in the summer of 1969. Although President John F. Kennedy had made a public commitment on May 25, 1961, to land an American on the Moon … Continue reading
Re-Direct: “Exploring Options”
On May 7, 2014, I wrote a short blog post for “The Mark News,” an on-line source of news and opinion. The piece, “Exploring Options,” is available here. I hope you find it useful. Comments are welcome. One of my … Continue reading
Extremophiles, Surveyor III, and the Possibility of Life Beyond Earth?
One of the most unusual stories of the U.S. lunar landing program of the 1960s involved the Surveyor III camera that journeyed to the Moon on April 20, 1967, and sat exposed on the lunar surface for 31 months before … Continue reading
NASA and the Stimulation of Non-Space Applications from Space-related Technology
Much has been made over the years of what NASA calls “spinoffs,” commercial products that had at least some of their origins as a result of spaceflight-related research. Most years the agency puts out a book describing some of the … Continue reading
Historical Analogies and the Commercial Development of Space
I recently completed a study on historical analogies and the commercial development of space. This study explored several historical episodes in U.S. history where the federal government undertook public/private efforts to complete critical activities valued for their public good. This largely … Continue reading
