Can Democracies Fly in Space?: The Challenge of Revitalizing the U.S. Space Program

by W. Kay

Overview

Over the last two decades, the image of the U.S. space program has become seriously tarnished. Its problems have ranged from massive cost overruns to serious program delays to catastrophic mission failures. The space program, once the most prominent symbol of American scientific and technological preeminence, now seems but one more example of government bumbling, extravagance, and waste. In this study, Kay examines the recent problems of the space program and finds that NASA's failures, like its earlier successes, are ultimately traceable to the way the American political system operates. Asking can democracies fly in space?, the author suggests that the traditional workings of democratic politics actually exacerbates those very features of space projects—size, expense, and complexity—that make their development so difficult in the first place.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275952549
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/20/1995
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)
Lexile:	1650L (what's this?)

About the Author

W. D. KAY is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Northeastern University in Massachusetts. In 1993, he served as scholar in residence at the NASA history office.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Where Did We Go Wrong?
A Program Adrift
In Search of the Magic Bullet: Critiques of U.S. Space Policy
The Space Program from the Ground Up
NASA: The Eye of the Storm
…and a Cast of Thousands
"Shoe Pinching" vs. "Too Many Cooks"
Prospects for Reform
A World Without Borders
From Henry Ford to Captain Kirk
Conclusion: Can Democracies Fly in Space?

Editorial Reviews

NASA historian and Star Trek fan Kay (political science, Northeastern U.-Boston) argues that the US government should either pursue its policy of space exploration more fully, or make the decision to reverse the policy decision of three decades ago. He provides a broad framework within which the institutional arrangements and political practices that currently prevent the policy from being carried out could be reformed without taking sides on such controversies as human space flight or the space station. He concludes that democracies can probably fly if they want to badly enough, but does not presume to speak for anyone's desire but his own. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews