From Scientific American, an article on the future of space exploration: What comes next? Humans are returning to the moon, but this time the plan is to stay a while. Racing past the Moon: Today competition matters less than conquering space. From Popular Mechanics, 5 reasons Sputnik still matters on its 50th birthday. From Time, a look at the top 50 highs and lows since Sputnik. The standard Sputnik story goes like this: It was the launch of this metal ball that forced the United States to elevate the pursuit of science, but that's not quite true (and more). Sputnik Plus 50: A look at the five hottest contests for space dominance. The launch of Sputnik 1, 50 years ago, ushered in a scientific and technological revolution, but dreams of the human conquest of space have faded. A review of Red Moon Rising: Sputnik and the Hidden Rivalries that Ignited the Space Age by Matthew Brzezinski.
