First, thank you for your well-researched response, complete with hyperlinks. The actual story of America's space program is certainly different from what's "common knowledge".

My own opinions of these "defense" projects is rather muddled. They have contributed to America's current (but dwindling) status as chief superpower of Earth, and laid down the roots for future successes, many of which we all benefit from technological spin-offs of today, but also contributed to the ramping up of tension between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. I wasn't alive during the cold war, but this doesn't excuse my current ignorance on the subject.

Sadly, one of the best documentaries that I've seen on the subject is "The Right Stuff", released in 1983, years before declassifcation of these projects. The movie even comes off as a clever bit of pro-American propaganda... not that I mean to belittle the commendable achievements made by our early manned spaceflight programs. At present, it seems so distant into the past that no one gives a damn what happened 30+ years ago, regardless of how dependent America's current space prowess is upon these once cryptic military programs.

The (necessary?) interplay between military and scientific achievement will continue to frustrate me, of that I can assure you. It's just too complicated, with too many smokescreens and politics. If only we could all just lay down our weapons, come together as a species, and focus on progress...

Brb, getting labeled as a commie.