The Practical Values of Space Exploration

The Practical Values of Space
Exploration, by

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Title: The Practical Values of Space Exploration Report of the
Committee on Science and Astronautics, U.S. House of
Representatives, Eighty-Sixth Congress, Second Session
Author: Committee on Science and Astronautics
Release Date: November 24, 2006 [EBook #19911]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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Union Calendar No. 928

86th Congress, 2d Session House Report No. 2091

THE PRACTICAL VALUES OF SPACE EXPLORATION
REPORT
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND ASTRONAUTICS U.S. HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-SIXTH CONGRESS SECOND
SESSION
PURSUANT TO
H. Res. 133
[Serial I]
July 5, 1960.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
58231° WASHINGTON: 1960

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND ASTRONAUTICS
OVERTON BROOKS, Louisiana, Chairman
John W. McCormack, Massachusetts George P. Miller, California Olin
E. Teague, Texas Victor L. Anfuso, New York B. F. Sisk, California
Erwin Mitchell, Georgia James M. Quigley, Pennsylvania Leonard G.
Wolf, Iowa Joseph E. Karth, Minnesota Ken Hechler, West Virginia
Emilio Q. Daddario, Connecticut Walter H. Moeller, Ohio David S.

King, Utah J. Edward Roush, Indiana Thomas G. Morris, New Mexico
Joseph W. Martin, JR. Massachusetts James G. Fulton, Pennsylvania
Gordon L. McDonough, California J. Edgar Chenoweth, Colorado
Frank C. Osmers, JR. New Jersey William K. Van Pelt, Wisconsin A.
D. Baumhart, JR. Ohio Perkins Bass, New Hampshire R. Walter
Riehlman, New York
CHARLES F. DUCANDER, Executive Director and Chief Counsel
DR. CHARLES S. SHELDON II, Technical Director SPENCER M.
BERESFORD, Special Counsel PHILIP B. YEAGER, Special
Consultant JOHN A. CARSTARPHEN, Jr., Chief Clerk FRANK R.
HAMMILL, Jr., Counsel RAYMOND WILCOVE, Staff Consultant
RICHARD P. HINES, Staff Consultant Lt. Col. FRANCIS J. DILLON,
Jr., Staff Consultant Comdr. HOWARD J. SILBERSTEIN, Staff
Consultant

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE
AND ASTRONAUTICS, Washington, D.C., July 1, 1960.
Hon. OVERTON BROOKS, Chairman, Committee on Science and
Astronautics.
DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I am forwarding herewith for your
consideration a staff study, "The Practical Values of Space
Exploration."
This study was undertaken pursuant to your request for information
covering the various utilities of the national space effort. The study has
been prepared by Philip B. Yeager and reviewed by other members of
the professional staff.
CHARLES F. DUCANDER, Executive Director and Chief Counsel.

LETTER OF SUBMITTAL
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE
AND ASTRONAUTICS, Washington, D.C., July 5, 1960.
Hon. SAM RAYBURN, Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. SPEAKER: By direction of the Committee on Science and
Astronautics, I submit the following report on "The Practical Values of
Space Exploration" for the consideration of the 86th Congress.
OVERTON BROOKS, Chairman.

CONTENTS
Introduction 1
I. The unseen values 3 Some examples of the unexpected 3 The
ultimate values 5 Steering a middle road 6 The time for space 7
II. National security values 9 The military uses 9 Our position in the
international community 12 Space as a substitute for war 15
III. The economic values 17 U.S. expenditures on space 17 The spread
of economic benefits 18 Creation of new industries 19 Research 19
New power sources 20 New water sources and uses 21 Noise and
human engineering 22 High speed-light weight computers 22 Solid
state physics 23 Economic alliances 24 Private enterprise in space 24
Jobs 27 Automation and disarmament 28
IV. Values for everyday living 31 Technological benefits 31 Food and
agriculture 35 Communications 36 Weather prediction and
modification 37 Health benefits 39 Education benefits 42 The demand
42
V. Long-range values 45 Trouble spots 45 Population 45 Water

shortage 46 Soil erosion 46 Added leisure 47 Intensified nationalism 48
Limitations on space research 48 Fundamental knowledge about life 51
Psychological and spiritual values 52 Maturing of the race 53

+---------------------------------------------------------------+ | 86TH
CONGRESS | | 2d Session | | | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | | | |
REPORT | | NO. 2091 | | | | | | | | | |THE PRACTICAL VALUES OF
SPACE EXPLORATION | | | | * * * * * | | | |JULY 5,
1960.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on| |the State
of the Union and ordered to be printed | | | | * * * * * | | | |Mr. BROOKS
of Louisiana, from the Committee on Science and | |Astronautics,
submitted the following | |