Q&A: NASA Tech Chief on ‘Sputnik’ Moments and Innovation
WASHINGTON — President Obama's State of the Union address last week detailed an ambitious set of goals for the country in terms of technology and innovation. He stressed investments were needed in biomedicine, information technology and solar power, and likened the funding to "The Apollo Project," which put the first man on the moon.
"This is our generation's Sputnik moment," Obama said in his speech, adding that the country needs to "fund a level of research and development we haven't seen since the height of the space race."
Sputnik, the Soviet Union's 184-pound satellite that was the first to launch into space in the late 1950s, prompted the United States to begin its own space program.
SPACE.com spoke with NASA Chief Technologist Robert Braun about our current Sputnik moment and what's in store for the future:
Robert Braun: Some people probably didn't get the Sputnik reference because they don't know what Sputnik is — and that is saddening. The analogy is apt for where we stand right now. Tech leadership is the space race of today.
If we want to be a technology leader, we have to make tech advancements. Investments in innovative research and technology development are the keys to stimulating the economy and building our country's global economic competitiveness through the creation of new products and services, new business and industries, and high-quality, sustainable jobs.
Braun: I'm 46. People my age or older are certainly aware of Sputnik. However, my kids who are in high school and middle school may not have understood this reference. Those were extraordinary times during which NASA was born. The technological achievement of Sputnik woke up the world to the important role technology was to play in a modern world. America is the nation we are today because of those investments, thanks to those engineers and scientists.
Today, as iPhones and BlackBerries become even more commonplace, the marvel of Sputnik may not be as well-known to a generation that has never known life without the Internet. I do think, however, that young people understand the important role technology has in their lives and want to contribute to our nation's technological future.
Braun: Yes. The president's speech and the broad support for the technology and innovation focus contained within his remarks are the most recent sign that our government is taking this important matter seriously.
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