Introduction
End of an Era: The space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Kennedy Space Center on July 8, 2011, carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station. It was the shuttle program's last flight. The United States now must depend on Russian Soyuz spacecraft to ferry Americans to the orbiting laboratory. (AFP/Getty Images/Bruce Weaver)
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More than 40 years after astronauts first walked on the moon, the U.S. space program is in search of direction. With the end of the space shuttle program last year, the United States must rely on Russian Soyuz rockets to send Americans into space. Private contractors are building spacecraft to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station and beyond, but those won't be ready for years. Meanwhile, budget cutters have pared NASA spending, and President Obama has angered some space enthusiasts by proposing to shift funds from two international Mars missions to a new telescope slated to replace the aging Hubble observatory. Mars remains a tantalizing destination, and a sophisticated rover is scheduled to land there in August to search for signs of life. But a human landing may be decades away. Obama has rejected returning to the moon as a stepping stone to Mars, preferring to send astronauts to an asteroid.
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Jul. 23, 2021 |
Space Exploration |
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Feb. 21, 2020 |
The Mars Mission |
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Aug. 04, 2017 |
New Space Race |
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Jun. 20, 2014 |
Search for Life On New Planets |
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Feb. 24, 2012 |
Space Program |
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Aug. 16, 2011 |
Weapons in Space |
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Oct. 16, 2009 |
Human Spaceflight |
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May 23, 2003 |
NASA's Future |
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Jul. 23, 1999 |
New Challenges in Space |
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Apr. 25, 1997 |
Space Program's Future |
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Dec. 24, 1993 |
Space Program's Future |
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Mar. 29, 1991 |
Uncertain Future for Man in Space |
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Jul. 31, 1987 |
Space Race |
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Feb. 07, 1986 |
Space Decisions after Challenger |
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Feb. 18, 1983 |
American Options in Space |
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Nov. 10, 1978 |
Changing U.S. Space Policy |
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Jul. 04, 1975 |
Cooperation in Space |
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Mar. 15, 1972 |
Space Shuttle Controversy |
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Oct. 01, 1969 |
Mission to Mars: Benefits Vs. Costs |
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Nov. 13, 1968 |
Goals in Space |
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Jun. 29, 1966 |
Future of Space Exploration |
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May 08, 1963 |
Moon Race Controversy |
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Jun. 27, 1962 |
Peaceful Use of Outer Space |
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Nov. 01, 1961 |
Space Exploration |
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Dec. 09, 1959 |
National Space Policy |
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Feb. 19, 1958 |
Control of Outer Space |
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