The Manhattan Project, the Apollo Program, and Federal Energy Technology R&D Programs: A Comparative Analysis

Stine, Deborah D.

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.

关键词: Science policy;    Research and development;    Energy;    Energy research;    Space activities;   

RP-ID  :  RL34645
RP-ID  :  RL34645_2009Jun20

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Some policymakers have concluded that the energy challenges facing the United States are so critical that a concentrated investment in energy research and development (R&D) should be undertaken. The Manhattan project, which produced the atomic bomb, and the Apollo program, which landed American men on the moon, have been cited as examples of the success such R&D investments can yield. Investment in federal energy technology R&Dprograms of the 1970s, in response to two energy crises, have generally been viewed as less successful than the earlier two efforts. This report compares and contrasts the goals of, and the investments in, the three initiatives, which may provide useful insights for Congress as it assesses and debates the nation's energy policy.