This report has been undertaken for a special reason. It is to explain
to the taxpayer just why so many of his dollars are going into the
American effort to explore space, and to indicate what he can expect in
return which is of value to him.
Such an explanation, even after 2 years of relatively high-geared
activity in the space exploration field, appears to be warranted. There
is still a segment of the U.S. population which has little, if any,
notion of the values that the space program has for the average citizen.
To these people the expenditure of billions of dollars on missiles,
rockets, satellites, Moon probes, and other space activities remains
something of a mystery--particularly when so many other worthy projects
throughout the land may be slowed or stalled for lack of funds.
If, therefore, the practical value of the American space program is
being questioned, it is a question which needs to be answered.
It is interesting to note that the problem is not unique to the United
States. In the Soviet Union, which counts itself as the world's prime
investigator of space, there is likewise an element of citizenry which
finds itself puzzled over the U.S.S.R.'s penchant for the interplanetary
reaches.
"What do sputniks give to a person like me?" a Russian workman
complained in a letter which _Pravda_ published on its front page. "So
much money is spent on sputniks it makes people gasp. If there were no
sputniks the Government could cut the cost of cloth for an overcoat in
half and put a few electric flatirons in the stores. Rockets, rockets,
rockets. Who needs them now?"[1]
It goes without saying that the workman was severely chastised by the
Soviet newspaper, but his point was made.
No matter where taxpayers live they want to know--and are entitled to
know--what good a program of space exploration is to them.
During the 1960's it is expected that the U.S. Government will spend
anywhere from $30 to $50 billion on space exploration for all purposes,
civilian and military. It is the intent of this report to delineate in
lay language, and in terms which will be meaningful to those who have
not followed the American space program closely, the reasons for this
great investment and the probable returns.
[Illustration: FIGURE 1.--A single shot of the 8-barreled
Saturn of the future will cost millions of dollars, maybe tens of
millions. What makes it worthwhile for the taxpayer?]