Neil deGrasse Tyson on Space Exploration

Foreign Affairs Focus: Space Exploration & "Dreaming Big" With Neil deGrasse Tyson

Editor Gideon Rose interviews author Neil deGrasse Tyson about the purpose of and reasons for funding the U.S. space program. Dr. Tyson, an astrophysicist, author, and director of the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium, explains how national aspirations for space exploration lead to concrete social and political benefits--economic growth, educational development, student engagement, innovation in other fields, and national security. Such accomplishments take time, so presidents and policymakers must make decisions affecting the space program with a much longer term in mind.

"The space program is not just about going into space; it is the tentpole of America's revitalization of science."

Read Dr. Tyson's article from the March/April issue and more on these topics at http://www.ForeignAffairs.com