Aerospace Corporations
For most of history, humankind has had to study space from on or near the surface of Earth. This meant that most of our knowledge was limited to what could be deduced from observations conducted through dust and light pollution and the distorting and degrading effects of Earth's atmosphere. No in situ study or direct analysis of materials from space (except for studies of meteorites) was possible. These conditions changed drastically with the development of space technology. First machines, then humans, were able to enter space, beginning a new era in space study and exploration. This era has grown to include the exploitation of space for public and private purposes. Designing, building, and operating the systems that make this possible is the role of aerospace corporations of the twenty-first century.
Historical Overview
The characteristics of aerospace corporations and the current structure of the aerospace industry result from the numerous political and economic forces that have created, shaped, and reshaped it. The first of these forces, and the one responsible in large part for creating the aerospace industry, was the Cold War. As World War II came to a close, the uneasy alliance between Russia and the United States began to disintegrate.
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