Abstract
Examines U.S.-Soviet competition in space in the aftermath of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and the defense implications of advances in the Soviet space program.
Description
On July 20, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, marking the height of American technological prowess. In the years since the beginning of the Space Race, the U.S. had built a space program that became the envy of the world. As the focus shifted from moon landings to reusable Space Shuttles and the development of a permanent space station, the supremacy of American technology seemed untouchable. In 1986, however, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven crewmembers. The Challenger disaster sent a shock through the U.S. space program, grounding all Space Shuttle flights and casting the future of America's manned space missions into uncertainty. While the U.S. searched for answers in the tragedy's aftermath, progress on the Soviet side was impressive. In February 1986 the Soviet Union launched its new space station, Mir, and during the time the U.S. space fleet was grounded there were more than 90 Soviet launches, laying the groundwork for Soviet entry into the commercial launch market. As America's shuttle fleet lay dormant, some began to worry that the American space program was losing ground to the Soviet Union. In this episode, host Peter Krogh sits down with Dr. Robert Jastrow, founding director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and Dr. John Pike, Associate Director for Space Policy at the Federation of American Scientists, to discuss the ramifications of U.S.-Soviet competition in space in the aftermath of the Challenger disaster.
Location
North America; United States;
