Policy

Why are we spending so much to go into space? Why do we need astronauts at all? These have been the often-expressed views of the general public (i.e., us), especially in the USA, and especially after the success of the Apollo program. Both in the USA and elsewhere in the world, there has been a long succession of space policy initiatives over the decades since the beginning of the space age back in 1957. But the overall impression, at least to the US man-or-woman-in-the-street, is that nowadays our reasons for being in space lack clarity. At the beginning, it was clear. The USA had to do it because the Soviets were doing it. And maybe satellites would in some way be used as weapons. Some of this subsequent space policy has resulted in regulation, both global and national. And those regulatory aspects will be discussed in Chap. 15 . In other parts of the world, however, there is emerging a new focus and expectation for space and its potential in terms of benefits for us on Earth.