Unlike the Cold War competition to put a man on the moon, the Obama administration faces a different kind of space race, with broader scientific, national-security and business implications.
A report released Monday by an industry group emphasizes those challenges, and warns that sweeping policy, budget and institutional changes are necessary to protect what it called America’s “perishable” lead in satellites, rockets and space exploration.
The study by the Aerospace Industries Association, which includes large firms such as Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp., as well as numerous midsize contractors, is part of an effort to highlight how the U.S.’s priorities need to adapt to a changing reality in which more countries are pushing into space for political and industrial reasons.
By Andy Pasztor
The Wall Street Journal
While the U.S. government spends an estimated $100 billion annually on space efforts, far more than any other country, China, India, Japan, Russia and the European Union have all stepped up spending and are catching up in technical prowess.
“In a very real sense, the ’space race’ is far from over,” said Marion Blakey, the association’s president and chief executive. “We might not be racing, but our global competitors certainly are.”
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