The Inflection Point

• Russia’s early lead: Sputnik 1 - world’s first artificial satellite, Yuri Gagarin - first human in space
• US takes over – 1969 Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin plant US flag on the Moon, bursts terrestial bonds and began exploration of space, no visible limits to man’s future in the universe
• NASA’s budget cuts – from a peak of 4.4% of the federal budget to averaging 0.5% in the past decade
• Two proposals: Space Transportation System, a space shuttle, and ISS – both coupled in the sense that one cannot exist without the other – soon falls through because of inaccurate estimates, bureaucracy, and eventually extremely high cost of getting in space (~$1B)
• Bush in 2004, promotes private companies to enter the sector, design vehicles capable of bringing cargo to ISS, deliver cargo