The space age began on 4 October 1957 when the Soviet Union launched the earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik. Within four years the United States built upon preexisting foundations and created three separate space programs designed to meet the two primary challenges which presidential-level decision makers believed existed in the space arena: gathering strategic-level intelligence information from space on the Soviet Union and its allies, and garnering prestige on the international stage vis- -vis the Soviet Union. But why did the US federal government operate and fund three separate and distinct space programs: a multifaceted and multifunctional military space program to fulfill a plethora of DOD requirements using a wide variety of orbital platforms, including some types of surveillance; a civilian and mostly scientific effort under the aegis of the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) which has often focused on the prestige projects; and a hybrid civilian-military National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) undertaking imagery collection for intelligence purposes and operating at the highest levels of classification?This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
