On July 22, the nation and the world lost a leader who played a critical role in making the Apollo 11 moon landing a reality: Christopher Columbus Kraft. Kraft gained great fame for his creation of the Mission Control Center and as the nation’s first flight director, but these were only the beginning of his many and lasting contributions to the U.S. space program. Continue Reading
*Image courtesy of NASA On January 5, the nation and the world lost a very courageous astronaut and an outstanding engineer, and I lost a very good friend. John Young was a pioneer who led the way in space exploration.… Continue Reading
George Abbey, the institute’s senior fellow in space policy and the former director of the Johnson Space Center, reflects on the life and legacy of John Glenn, who died Thursday at age 95. I first met John Glenn in March… Continue Reading
Scott Kelly’s mission should be an example to the world, from its very beginning a year ago in Baikonur to its successful completion on the steps of Kazakhstan, of the success that can be achieved if nations choose to work together for the betterment of all humankind. Continue Reading
Though headlines focus on the latest developments in Ukraine, the crisis has created a ripple effect around the world. The escalating conflict has even impacted events at the Baker Institute: An April 14 program featuring Børge Brende, Norway’s minister of foreign affairs, was postponed when he was asked to return to Oslo for meetings on the unfolding Ukraine-related crisis in Europe. Similarly, Georgiy Mamedov, Russia’s ambassador to Canada, cancelled an April 16 Baker Institute event on policy and politics in Russian-American relations. Continue Reading
From the crisis in Syria to the case of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden to the criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s human rights record, the U.S.-Russia relationship has become undeniably more confrontational in the last year. Considering the current circumstances and a long history of harsh competition, why would any American think that the Russians are our friends? Continue Reading
NASA and the space industry need a new generation of problem solvers to answer the questions that will shape our future, but right now, they don’t have it. Continue Reading