CRS – Sputnik +50

U.S. Civilian Space Policy Priorities: Reflections 50 Years After Sputnik (full report)

Reflections on civilian space policy, Aviation Week

“A new Congressional Research Service paper came out Dec. 3 titled “U.S. civilian space policy priorities: reflections 50 years after Sputnik.” It’s a nice wrap-up of policy in the past as well as the direction for space policy in the future. The report posits that there are four factors contributing to the advancement of space technology since Sputnik (launched on Oct. 4, 1957): “the compelling need to explore and discover; national defense; prestige and confidence in the U.S. scientific, technological, industrial and military systems; and scientific observation and experimentation to add to our knowledge and understanding of the Earth, solar system and universe.”