Technology Quarterly | Human space flight
The orphans of Apollo
There is no compelling need for people in space, but they will keep going anyway
SPACE need not necessarily become a battlefield, but the possibility is not without precedent. Military strategists have long known the value of taking the high ground, and the remarkable kinetic energy that comes with orbital velocities is a gift to weapon designers. The space race was a way to pursue the cold war by other means; its rockets were the children of V2s and the cousins of ICBMs. And its heroes were warriors, representing their nations in a strange new form of single combat.
This article appeared in the Technology Quarterly section of the print edition under the headline “The orphans of Apollo”
From the August 27th 2016 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the edition