Remarks on a New Vision for Space Exploration Program

Presented on January 14, 2004

The U.S. space program began in 1958 with the formation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). At that time the United States and the former Soviet Union had been engaged in a period of hostile relations known as the Cold War (1945–91) for more than a decade, since the end of World War II (1939–45). Not only were the two superpowers involved in an arms race for military superiority, they were also competing for dominance in space. In 1957 the Soviet Union had launched the Sputnik 1 satellite to study the atmosphere of Earth, sending shock waves through American society. Sputnik was a sign that the Soviet Union was moving ahead in the Cold...