We are in the Space Age – an era that began on October 1957 with the launch of Sputnik 1; an era that went through the Space Race of the ‘60s and is ongoing today in the 21st century.
The Space Race of the '60s was between the United States and the Soviet Union, and who had the better spaceflight capabilities - and could get to the Moon first.
The "New Space" [Race], currently ongoing, is not so much the continuation of what was once, but an evolution of the industry due to new technologies, exponential innovations, the startup-type businesses, powerful, visionary players, and the mindset of commercialization of the industry – and all this globally (but there is not one specific definition to the term).
There are of course big names that are almost like pop stars (specially to space geeks, but to fellow entrepreneurs who look at them with respect and admiration), and yes, mainly in the US, like SpaceX at the very top (and Elon Musk’s very name), and other huge world-known companies like Blue Origin (with Jeff Bezos), Virgin Galactic (with Richard Branson). Lately Axiom Space is showing to be superstars with their latest (May 21, 2023) crewed-launch to the Space Station – and with two Saudi astronauts, one being a woman, a first!
The technologies that these companies have innovated, and build would be mind-blowing to think of back in President Kennedy’s days, 60 years ago.
The Space Industry has changed so much in our very lifetimes (whether you were alive in the 60s, or someone as young as in their 20s); it’s really that different from back then, and evolving so rapidly right now. We’re in the Space Age still, but it’s not what it was once in the 60s!
There are however parallels from the old Space Race phase and the New Space mindset and drive of today, and one of which can be found from this paragraph of the address before the 18th General Assembly to the United Nations, delivered by President Kennedy in September 20, 1963:
“[...] in a field where the United States and the Soviet Union have a special capacity--in the field of space--there is room for new cooperation, for further joint efforts in the regulation and exploration of space. I include among these possibilities a joint expedition to the moon. Space offers no problems of sovereignty; by resolution of this Assembly, the members of the United Nations have foresworn any claim to territorial rights in outer space or on celestial bodies, and declared that international law and the United Nations Charter will apply. Why, therefore, should man's first flight to the moon be a matter of national competition? Why should the United States and the Soviet Union, in preparing for such expeditions, become involved in immense duplications of research, construction, and expenditure? Surely we should explore whether the scientists and astronauts of our two countries--indeed of all the world--cannot work together in the conquest of space, sending someday in this decade to the moon not the representatives of a single nation, but the representatives of all of our countries."
Even in the days of the Cold War and all that was going on then, including the Space Race, President Kennedy spoke of unity, collaboration, and how space exploration should be a global endeavor, i.e. we’re all in this together.
Just a few days ago (May 19) it was announced that Blue Origin won a $3.4 billion NASA contract to build an Artemis lunar lander.
In Kennedy's presidency, and the Apollo program of the day – and decades later – it was unheard of a private company helping such a big governmental space mission! But what a huge win for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company!
True that Blue Origin, along with SpaceX and the others I mentioned are all American companies and contradicting the inspiring message above by Kennedy of global collaboration, nevertheless, in this link here you can find the full list of private spaceflight companies and what they’re all up to (and this list is changing so fast, and not even fully updated).
On 31 December 2100, a new century will begin and will be the end of the 21st Century.
How will children born today live like then?
Will they be travelling to the Moon? Mars?
Will space exploration go beyond that?
What will all our global collaborative efforts of today's Space Era bring to a future 22nd Century (spacefaring?) generation?
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