The Nation : No Nation Has Space Lead, Study Says

The U.S. space program is clearly eclipsed by the Soviet Union’s in one area only, the operational use of crews in Earth orbit, and no nation has a space lead, a congressional study reported. The study, prepared for the Senate Commerce Committee and its space subcommittee by the Congressional Research Service, noted that the lead in that area existed long before the 1986 Challenger shuttle disaster and will remain long after the shuttle goes back into service. “No single country is ‘ahead’ of all the others in space,” the report said, and despite the edge in operational experience and “despite the headlines of the last few months, the Soviets have not suddenly taken the lead in space.”