The Space Program Quiz and Fact Book

New York: Harper & Row, 1985. First Edition [Stated], First Printing [Stated]. Trade paperback. Very good. x, [2], 257, [3] pages. Introduction by Frank Borman. Illustrations. Appendices. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. Cover has slight wear and soiling. Gathers anecdotes and little known facts about NASA, manned space flights, code names, astronomers, and space probes. This key reference work presents a snapshot in time, covering key aspects of the U.S. Space Program into the mid-1980s and can serve as a foundation for developing a further understanding of U.S. space program personnel, organizations, developments, and challenges that have occurred since this work was published. Timothy B. Benford is an established author of non-fiction and fiction works and movie scripts. Brian Wilkes is the author of over 40 titles. With his diverse background, he jokes that his goal is to live "all of his re-incarnations simultaneously! The United States has developed many space programs since the beginning of the spaceflight era in the mid-20th century. The government runs space programs by three primary agencies: NASA for civil space; the United States Space Force for military space; and the National Reconnaissance Office for intelligence space. These entities have invested significant resources to advance technological approaches to meet objectives. In the late 1980s, commercial interests emerged in the space industry and have expanded dramatically, especially within the last 10 to 15 years. NASA delivers the most visible elements of the U.S. space portfolio. From crewed space exploration and the Apollo 11 landing on the moon, to the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, Voyager, the Mars rovers, many space telescopes, and the Artemis program, NASA delivers on the civil space exploration mandate. NASA also cooperates with other U.S. civil agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to deliver space assets supporting the weather and civil remote sensing mandates of those organizations. In 2022, NASA's annual budget was approximately $24 billion. The Department of Defense delivers the military space programs. In 2019, the U.S. Space Force started as the primary DoD agent for delivery of military space capability. Systems such as the Global Positioning System, which is ubiquitous to users worldwide, was developed and is maintained by the DoD. Missile warning, defense weather, military satellite communications, and space domain awareness also acquire significant annual investment. In 2023, the annual DoD budget request focused on space is $24.5 billion dollars. The Intelligence Community, through entities that include the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), invests significant resources in space. Surveillance and reconnaissance are the primary focuses of these entities. Commercial space activity in the United States was facilitated by the passage of the Commercial Space Launch Act in October 1984. Commercial crewed program activity was spurred by the establishment of the $10 million Ansari X Prize in May 1996.