October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launched a metal basketball with long whiskers into Earth orbit. Sputnik circled the globe every 98 minutes, happily beeping away (Listen here.)Back then the tiny satellite was a harbinger of coming doom, of nuclear missiles raining down on us.
Today, satellites are a forgotten cog in our technological life. Here's a shot of the LipsYard from space.
So what lies ahead for America in space?
How about back to the Cold War? The Bush Administration plan, released a year ago, takes a go–it-alone stance, using strong language that asserts U.S. unilateral rights in space while possibly also being intended to "negate" the rights of other space-faring nations. In ominous tones, the document threatens in one section to "dissuade or deter others from either impeding [U.S.] rights or developing capabilities intended to do so" – raising the specter of preemptive action against other nations’ dual-use space technology.
I'd like to make a personnel suggestion for our manned mission to Mars.
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