Spacetime 50 y
Sputnik: first satellite Okt.1957
Gagarins flight Apr. 1961
Moon walks 1969 - 1972
Hubble Space Telescope April 1990
International Space Station done 2011
Use on the earth for many purposes 1965 -
........................................................
What next 50 y ?
I estimate. The present tasks will increase, and if the World will be ok., then:
1. Base in the Moon ?
2. The Spaceliner: The risk money is considerably needed and a fair skillful producer, big corporation and international co-operation.
3. Mars journeys and perhaps flights to near asteroids (Phobos ?)
4. Turism flights around inner planets
5. Large telescopes and other instruments in the Lagrangian points
6. Steady live in space
7. Small-scale industrial and food production in space
8. The cleaning in near space with Haavi 
9. Electronic telescope: Coming charges will be bend to the focus
by (high-temperature) superconducting magnetic field in space (L2).
10. Fluoroscopy of the Earth by neutrinos
11. Gravity wave instruments in space
12. Nuclear warming capsule with laboratory will push 
through ice
in moon
Europa of Jupiter (and in other moons; perhaps even Eris) leaving the information
cable line after. The link and link mast are on the surface of ice. Below the ice the
head will stop and be disconnect. The capsule will get down slowly and stop,
perhaps get up too. Infection will be very serious problem.
13. Next 100y: The capsule will get up to the surface of ice in moon Europa
with the hot head after disconnecting a ballast and by tractor drums. A rocket
(perhaps mini-rocket) will bring the speciments to Earth via Jupiter.
Tapani Hakonen