Before I start this week’s post, I feel the need to fill you in on a few things:
- I am clean shaven with close cropped hair
- I have excellent hygiene
- I do not own anything tie-dyed
- My Parents hadn’t even met in the 60’s.
I just want those facts to be clear before I make this statement:
We need to give peace a chance.
I was as happy as anyone with the nearly flawless launch of the space shuttle Atlantis on Monday. Smooth count down, no delays, beautiful camera footage of the launch, how could it get any better?
Well, it couldn’t and wouldn’t. Two online journals dragged me down nearly as quickly as the shuttle had lifted off. First the Christian Science Monitor, which tends to be open and balanced, made a disparaging remark about how there are only 5 launches left till “every new space-station crew member will have to hitch a ride on a Russian Soyuz rocket.” Next, CNN.com posted an article about Chinese space activity and the possible military ramifications.
- Russia has had a better launch record than America
- Russia is a MAJOR partner in the International Space Station (ISS) Program
- Russia has produced nearly one third of ISS components
- Russia provides a majority of the re-supply to the station
- Russia provided astro/cosmonaut support while the shuttle was shut down during the Columbia investigation
So utilizing our international partner, who have proven themselves nothing but reliable over 15 years of cooperation, is bad thing? Come on people!
We should be excited and reassured that we have international partners who can pick up the slack when we need it and should see this as an opportunity to strengthen our bonds with a country who, within my life time was considered a mortal enemy! (Click to enlarge the picture and you’ll even see the AMERICAN flag on their rocket… wanna guess the odds of seeing a Russian flag on our shuttle?)
A Brief Detour through China
CNN, started their piece benignly enough, talking about possible future cooperation talks between the US and Chinese space programs. However, they quickly began attacking the Chinese space program, reiterating again and again the issue of military control, and China’s development of anti-satellite weapons.
China is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Their powerful economy and intent gaze on outer space guarantees that they will take their place in space. If we continue to treat China as an enemy in the solar system, they will most assuredly become one. Conversely, if America can start to see China as the powerful potential ally they are, and actually include them in our space operations, it will encourage international support of Chinese programs. This international support is potentially the first step towards large inter-solar missions, a dream that may not be feasible without the support of the entire world.
My Pitch for Secretary of State
At the risk of sounding like I just walked in from Woodstock, America needs to start looking at countries outside of Europe in a much friendlier light. The rest of the world is catching up to the US and Russia in terms of space programs and while they all still have a long way to go, we need to decide now. Are we are going roll out the welcome mat and benefit from new partnerships? Or are we going to stir ourselves into a nationalist fervor, announce another space race, and glare suspiciously whenever another nation launches a rocket?
