A March Through Time in Space

摘要

In leafing through some of the earliest editions of SpaceNews, it's hard not to be struck by certain storylines that are still around today. In 1989, the space community was grappling with extreme budget pressures, rocket failures, cost overruns and program delays. NASA, tasked with more missions than it had the budget to execute, was casting about for something - anything - to recapture the glory of the Apollo years. There was much hand-wringing over fears that the United States would abdicate its leadership in space. The European Space Agency was being criticized for geographic return policies that ensured that contract work was doled out among member states in proportion to their contribution to agency programs. Arianespace, Europe's government-backed launch services provider, was falling short of its annual launch goals. The U.S. military was eyeing small "tacsats" that would plug gaps in existing capabilities and be more responsive to commanders in the field. U.S. government officials debated the role and use of anti-satellite weapons.