| Abstract: | The 1958 Space Act created separate but related military and civilian space exploration and exploitation efforts for the USA. This Viewpoint reexamines the assumptions of the act, and questions how they might be modified to fit with technical and political developments since 1958. Should separate civilian and military programmes continue? How should launch vehicles be developed and operated? What should be the major goals of the space exploration programmes? A well defined and forward looking space policy is proposed, including a lunar base programme, which will take the initiative away from the USSR. |
