Is it really true that people in the sixties thought that interstellar travel is 'just around the corner' as claimed in the blurb to the book? I mean RAND sold this book as a product for serious people.
You’re absolutely right. I was little when I talked with her, but my parents would surely say she would have completely accepted interstellar flights as the next thing.
While in principle and reason enormous achievements and progress are within reach of private enterprise, the 20th century was not dominated by reason and freedom, to say the least.
[1] http://www.astronautix.com/v/vonbraunmarpedition-1969.html
If that was the prevailing opinion, it's easy to see how the interstellar flight could be seen as around the corner after the conservative predictions were all put to shame.
Kinda makes one want to draw parallels with the 'singularity' and AI.