A Letter from the Editor

摘要

Last month I reflected on the anniversaries that made 1961 a very special place in the astronautical calendar - a year of celebrations in which, 50 years earlier, so much came together that would direct the pace of the space programme for decades to come. But 2012 too has its unforgettable birthdays, when major decisions were made that influence plans and policies today, when nowadays getting approval and money for even modest ventures takes longer than it ever did before.