In January 2004, President Bush announced a new space policy directed at human and robotic exploration of space. The National Academies released a report at the same time that independently addressed many of the issues contained in the new policy. In June, the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy issued a report recommending that NASA ask the National Research Council (NRC) to reevaluate space science priorities to take advantage of the exploration vision. Congress also directed the NRC to conduct a thorough review of the science NASA is proposing to undertake within the initiative. This report provides an initial response to those requests. It presents guiding principles for selecting science missions that enhance and support the exploration program. The report also presents findings and recommendations to help guide NASA's space exploration strategic planning activity. Separate NRC reviews will be carried out of strategic roadmaps that NASA is developing to implement the policy.

In February 2004, the President announced a new goal for NASA; to use humans and robots together to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond. In response to this initiative, NASA has adopted new exploration goals that depend, in part, on solar physics research. These actions raised questions about how the research agenda recommended by the NRC in its 2002 report, The Sun to the Earth and Beyond, which did not reflect the new exploration goals, would be affected. As a result, NASA requested the NRC to review the role solar and space physics should play in support of the new goals. This report presents the results of that review. It considers solar and space physics both as aspects of scientific exploration and in support of enabling future exploration of the solar system. The report provides a series of recommendations about NASA's Sun-Earth Connections program to enable it to meet both of those goals.

Your comprehensive guide to remarkable achievements in space Do you long to explore the universe? This plain-English, fully illustrated guide explains the great discoveries and advancements in space exploration throughout history, from early astronomers to the International Space Station. You'll learn about the first satellites, rockets, and people in space; explore space programs around the world; and ponder the controversial question: Why continue to explore space? Take a quick tour of astronomy get to know the solar system and our place in the galaxy, take a crash course in rocket science, and live a day in the life of an astronaut Run the Great Space Race trace the growth of the Space Age from Sputnik to the Apollo moon landings and meet the robots that explored the cosmos Watch as space exploration matures from the birth of the Space Shuttle to the creation of the Mir Space Station to successes and failures in Mars exploration, see how space programs reached new levels Journey among the planets check out the discoveries made during historic voyages to the inner and outer reaches of the solar system Understand current exploration review the telescopes in space, take a tour of the International Space Station, and see the latest sights on Mars Look into the future learn about upcoming space missions and increased access to space travel Open the book and find: Descriptions of space milestones and future missions An easy-to-follow chronological structure Color and black-and-white photos The nitty-gritty details of becoming an astronaut A grand tour of the solar system through space missions Explanations of tragedies and narrow escapes Facts on the creation of space stations by NASA and the USSR Ten places to look for life beyond Earth

This select volume of historical documents is organized chronologically, spanning from 1914 to the present. Divided into eight chapters, it includes a narrative introduction to each historical period. This collection of historical documents provides insight into the history of the United States in its pursuit of the peaceful uses of outer space, with emphasis on the manned space program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as well as commercial American activities supporting human spaceflight in the early 21st century. Rocketry and space technology have served varied goals throughout the Space Age: pure research, as well as research applied for national security, national prestige, and commercial profit. There have been varied actors as well, among them individuals supported by philanthropists as well as governments, intergovernmental organizations, international consortiums, and for-profit corporations. This book focuses on space exploration, and in particular, human space exploration, leading to the questions, "Why have humans gone into outer space in the past?" and "Why will they do so in the future?" These documents help readers to examine the variety of fascinating answers to those questions.

This book examines the U.S. space program’s triumphs and failures in order to assess what constitutes a successful space policy. Using NASA and the space industry’s complex history as a guide, it draws global lessons about space missions and the trends we can expect from different nations in the next decade and beyond. Space exploration has become increasingly dependent on cooperation between countries as well as the involvement of private enterprise. This book thus addresses issues such as: Given their tenuous history, can rival countries work together? Can private enterprise fill NASA’s shoes and provide the same expertise and safety standards? Written by a former NASA Aerodynamics Officer at Houston Mission Control working on the Space Shuttle program, the second edition of this book provides updated information on U.S. space policy, including the new strategy to return to the Moon prior to traveling to Mars. Additionally, it takes a look at the formation of the Space Force as a military unit, as well as the latest developments in private industry. Overall, it is a thought-provoking resource for both space industry professionals and space enthusiasts.

Few frontiers have inspired human imagination as much as the final frontier: outer space. What seemed impossible a mere hundred years ago has now been accomplished, as humans have sent astronauts into orbit and onto the moon, and rovers and satellites continue to travel farther out, beaming invaluable data about our universe back to Earth. This illustration-packed title covers the most outstanding events since humans landed on the moon. Missions to the different planets are presented, as are images and details of space stations, satellites, and Mars rovers. Even reluctant readers wonﾒt be able to stay away from this visual delight.

More than four decades have passed since a human first set foot on the Moon. Great strides have been made in our understanding of what is required to support an enduring human presence in space, as evidenced by progressively more advanced orbiting human outposts, culminating in the current International Space Station (ISS). However, of the more than 500 humans who have so far ventured into space, most have gone only as far as near-Earth orbit, and none have traveled beyond the orbit of the Moon. Achieving humans' further progress into the solar system had proved far more difficult than imagined in the heady days of the Apollo missions, but the potential rewards remain substantial. During its more than 50-year history, NASA's success in human space exploration has depended on the agency's ability to effectively address a wide range of biomedical, engineering, physical science, and related obstacles-an achievement made possible by NASA's strong and productive commitments to life and physical sciences research for human space exploration, and by its use of human space exploration infrastructures for scientific discovery. The Committee for the Decadal Survey of Biological and Physical Sciences acknowledges the many achievements of NASA, which are all the more remarkable given budgetary challenges and changing directions within the agency. In the past decade, however, a consequence of those challenges has been a life and physical sciences research program that was dramatically reduced in both scale and scope, with the result that the agency is poorly positioned to take full advantage of the scientific opportunities offered by the now fully equipped and staffed ISS laboratory, or to effectively pursue the scientific research needed to support the development of advanced human exploration capabilities. Although its review has left it deeply concerned about the current state of NASA's life and physical sciences research, the Committee for the Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space is nevertheless convinced that a focused science and engineering program can achieve successes that will bring the space community, the U.S. public, and policymakers to an understanding that we are ready for the next significant phase of human space exploration. The goal of this report is to lay out steps and develop a forward-looking portfolio of research that will provide the basis for recapturing the excitement and value of human spaceflight-thereby enabling the U.S. space program to deliver on new exploration initiatives that serve the nation, excite the public, and place the United States again at the forefront of space exploration for the global good.

This CSIS Report examines the strategic implications of manned space exploration. The current phase of exploration is coming to an end, and nations are seeking the next step. The decisions of the United States and its partners on the future of space exploration will determine the strategic situation in space. There are difficult issues to consider in moving ahead: the target of exploration beyond LEO, the balance between manned and unmanned programs, the future of partnership and cooperation in space, and the ultimate fate of the ISS. How Western space powers answer these questions will determine both the pace and the future direction of exploration in space.