Locked in Competition for Space
By James Donahue
The collective subconscious awareness by humans living on a dying planet seems to be prompting a growing interest in the possibility of colonizing other planets in our solar system.
Our current robotic exploration of Mars, and a search for water, is only a prelude to a Trump Administration call for a beefed-up space program that will send men back to the moon and beyond to the red planet.
But faced with a multi-trillion dollar federal deficit from America’s foolishly declared wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and our aerial military presence at numerous other points in the world, Congress should balk at the proposed expenditures linked to such an ambitious space program.
Mr. Trump has proposed the creation of a Space Force which he apparently envisions as an extension of the U.S. Military. And with other nations and private enterprise now in competition for a piece of the ongoing space exploration, the money for a beefed-up campaign to claim command of the sky, a renewed effort to send men to establish colonies on the Moon and then Mars seems to be pouring into the NASA budget.
A few voices of reason have been asking if the cost of sending humans that far into space is worth the cost of resources and human lives, however. Even Trump in a recent tweet questioned the expenditure of money to revisit the Moon. He wrote that NASA should be looking at reaching Mars instead.
In an article that appeared in the Summer 2004 volume of Issues in Science and Technology, noted space pioneer James van Allen questioned the worth of human spaceflight altogether. He warned that sending astronauts back to the moon and beyond will to too costly and that he believes the science to be gained will be “trivial.”
Van Allen argued that “the only surviving motivation for continuing human spaceflight is the ideology of adventure . . . I ask myself whether the huge national commitment of technical talent to human spaceflight and the ever-present potential for the loss of precious human life are really justifiable.”
Obviously Van Allen is overlooking the possibility that the United States, China, Japan and the European Union might be locked in a silent and undeclared race for establishing a military colony on the moon, or just claiming military advantage in satellite technology.
Under the circumstances, the cost of seeking world dominance through military strength in space is a wasted effort. Instead of military conquest, the United States would be wise to try to mend the fences burned by the Trump Administration in the last two years, and openly seek to join the European Union in establishing a one world government.
Only through the cooperative effort of all of the nations of the world can humans achieve the things sought by all; world peace, stability in world commerce, and ecological controls designed to prolong the life of Planet Earth.
Rather than look to space as a possible escape from our bungling on Earth, we would do much better turning our attention within, and doing all we can to heal the Mother and correct our mistakes as quickly as possible.
Our failure to do so will only lead to catastrophic disaster.
By James Donahue
The collective subconscious awareness by humans living on a dying planet seems to be prompting a growing interest in the possibility of colonizing other planets in our solar system.
Our current robotic exploration of Mars, and a search for water, is only a prelude to a Trump Administration call for a beefed-up space program that will send men back to the moon and beyond to the red planet.
But faced with a multi-trillion dollar federal deficit from America’s foolishly declared wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and our aerial military presence at numerous other points in the world, Congress should balk at the proposed expenditures linked to such an ambitious space program.
Mr. Trump has proposed the creation of a Space Force which he apparently envisions as an extension of the U.S. Military. And with other nations and private enterprise now in competition for a piece of the ongoing space exploration, the money for a beefed-up campaign to claim command of the sky, a renewed effort to send men to establish colonies on the Moon and then Mars seems to be pouring into the NASA budget.
A few voices of reason have been asking if the cost of sending humans that far into space is worth the cost of resources and human lives, however. Even Trump in a recent tweet questioned the expenditure of money to revisit the Moon. He wrote that NASA should be looking at reaching Mars instead.
In an article that appeared in the Summer 2004 volume of Issues in Science and Technology, noted space pioneer James van Allen questioned the worth of human spaceflight altogether. He warned that sending astronauts back to the moon and beyond will to too costly and that he believes the science to be gained will be “trivial.”
Van Allen argued that “the only surviving motivation for continuing human spaceflight is the ideology of adventure . . . I ask myself whether the huge national commitment of technical talent to human spaceflight and the ever-present potential for the loss of precious human life are really justifiable.”
Obviously Van Allen is overlooking the possibility that the United States, China, Japan and the European Union might be locked in a silent and undeclared race for establishing a military colony on the moon, or just claiming military advantage in satellite technology.
Under the circumstances, the cost of seeking world dominance through military strength in space is a wasted effort. Instead of military conquest, the United States would be wise to try to mend the fences burned by the Trump Administration in the last two years, and openly seek to join the European Union in establishing a one world government.
Only through the cooperative effort of all of the nations of the world can humans achieve the things sought by all; world peace, stability in world commerce, and ecological controls designed to prolong the life of Planet Earth.
Rather than look to space as a possible escape from our bungling on Earth, we would do much better turning our attention within, and doing all we can to heal the Mother and correct our mistakes as quickly as possible.
Our failure to do so will only lead to catastrophic disaster.