Ronald Reagan and the Space Frontier

Description

When Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980, limits on NASA funding and the lack of direction under the Nixon and Carter administrations had left the U.S. space program at a crossroads. In contrast to his predecessors, Reagan saw outer space as humanity’s final frontier and as an opportunity for global leadership. His optimism and belief in American exceptionalism guided a decade of U.S. activities in space, including bringing the space shuttle into operation, dealing with the 1986 Challenger accident and its aftermath, committing to a permanently crewed space station, encouraging private sector space efforts, and fostering international space partnerships with both U.S. allies and with the Soviet Union. Drawing from a trove of declassified primary source materials and oral history interviews, John M. Logsdon provides the first comprehensive account of Reagan’s civilian and commercial space policies during his eight years in the White House. Even as a fiscal conservative who was hesitant to increase NASA’s budget, Reagan’s enthusiasm for the space program made him perhaps the most pro-space president in American history. Intro Dedication Preface and Acknowledgments Contents Abbreviations List of Figures Chapter 1: A Cowboy Comes to Washington An Actor-Turned Politician "A Man of Ideas" Ronald Reagan and Space Ronald Reagan and the Space Frontier Reagan and Extraterrestrial Life Space During the Transition Kennedy or Nixon? Chapter 2: Getting Started The Reagan Approach to Policy Choice Staffing the White House Senior White House Staff Other White House Staff Stockman as Budget Director Keyworth as Science Adviser New Leadership for NASA Chapter 3: First Decisions Cutting the NASA Budget Initial ReductionsCanceling ISPM Spacecraft Causes a Diplomatic Dust Up Missing Halley's Comet Survival Crisis of Planetary Exploration President Reagan and the Shuttle's First Flight Shuttle Policy Review Embracing a Flawed Policy Chapter 4: An Initial Reagan Space Policy Review Begins Policy Review Completed: SIG (Space) Created Ronald Reagan Meets the Space Shuttle Chapter 5: SIG (Space) Gets Started Keyworth Is Not Happy Initial SIG (Space) Activity Initial SIG (Space) Meeting A National Space Strategy? NSSD 13-82 Conclusion Chapter 6: Space Shuttle Issues: Round One Pricing the Space ShuttleRevising the Shuttle Price Competition Emerges Who Should Fly on the Shuttle? The Shuttle as a Spaceliner? Expanding Shuttle Flight Opportunities A Fifth Orbiter? The Debate Continues Conclusion Chapter 7: The Next Logical Step A Long-Time Ambition An Early Attempt at a Presidential Endorsement Preparing for a Space Station Decision NASA Builds Its Case An "Incremental Budget Strategy" SIG (Space) Space Station Review Gets Started Initial Working Group Activities Gil Rye and the Space Station Ronald Reagan Meets the Space Station Chapter 8: Debates and DisagreementSIG (Space) Space Station Working Group Struggles Working Group Report and the National Space Strategy Space Station Issues as of Mid-1983 Space Science Community Says "No Need" No National Security Requirements International Participation Technology Transfer an Issue Which Station to Propose? An 8 Billion Space Station SIG (Space) Space Station Report Keyworth and Weinberger Make Their Views Known Keyworth's "Curve" Weinberger Tells Reagan that Approving Space Station Would Be a Mistake SIG (Space) Deadlocked Chapter 9: The Space Station DecisionShould NASA Stay the Course? OMB Compromise Proposed Interpreting a Reagan Speech Finding the Path to the President Getting Ready Selling the Space Station Decision Made, Protested, Reaffirmed Space Station Approved Decision Protested Chapter 10: "Follow Our Dreams to Distant Stars" Space as a "Great Goal" Adding the International Element "We Can Reach for Greatness Again" Conclusion Chapter 11: Together in Orbit: Round One Extending the Space Station Invitation Exploring Partner Interest Beggs Tours the World Reporting on the Beggs Trip