New Phase of Space Exploration

According to Nicolas Peter, a research fellow at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), space exploration is about to enter a new age of exploration. Peter's argued at a recent meeting in Vienna that the days of nations using exploration as a way of bolstering national pride are over. Since the Cold War ended many countries have started cooperating on missions and sharing information. Peter's contests that this trend will continue in the coming decades. Many have dubbed this new type of space policy "Space Exploration 3.0."

"Peter said there had been two phases of space exploration since the first Sputnik satellite was launched 50 years ago. The first phase, up to the early 1990s, was driven by Cold War rivalry between the US and the former USSR with cooperation extended to political allies of the two principal space powers. The second phase, up to the present, has seen the emphasis shift to scientific and practical applications of space with many new countries developing space programmes."

I would highly recommend reading this article, it is both interesting and thought provoking.