As many in the mainstream media -- desperate beyond reason to damage the Trump administration while painting Donald Trump as an “illegitimate” President -- continue to push demonstrably fake-news regarding Russia, there is in-fact real news about both Russia and the People’s Republic of China which does demand our full attention.
That being that both nations have rightfully decided that in the interests of their national and economic security, it has become imperative that they establish dominance from low earth orbit to the surface of the moon as fast as humanly possible.
Both in space and in politics, nature hates a vacuum, and Russia and especially the People’s Republic of China, are beside themselves in both shock and glee that the United States of America – the preeminent nation in human spaceflight for decades – shut down its human spaceflight program and ceded the ultimate high ground to them and their respective militaries.
At the moment, the Russians are even more thrilled because we have to pay them about $80 million per astronaut per launch to fly our people to the International Space Station. A space station built primarily with U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Driven by Hollywood, romantic notions, ignorance and a complete denial of reality, there is a growing chorus of voices pushing for the United States to waste its precious time and resources to send humans to Mars. To spend upwards of $100 billion to take a very hazardous, almost year-long journey to the “Red Planet” to plant a flag – but not an American flag as that would be insulting to other nations and cultures – and maybe stay on the surface for thirty days before staring the year-long journey back to earth.
Then what? “Repeat” as per the instructions on a bottle of shampoo?
Should we go to Mars one day? Absolutely. But not until we put our national and economic interests first. With regard to spaceflight, that means greatly enhancing our ability to protect our assets in low and geosynchronous orbit while establishing a manned base on the moon followed eventually by U.S/private sector mining operations.
The space program of the People’s Republic of China is a military program. Period. The military leaders of that program understand – much more so than the United States Congress – that no nation on earth is more dependent upon its satellites in low and geosynchronous orbit for its communications and national and economic security and very survival, than the United States.
More than understand it, with their continually advancing ASAT (anti-satellite) program -- which includes laser, microwave and electromagnetic rail-guns -- they wargame how best to take out our satellites on a regular basis.
Should that nightmare scenario happen, our government and military would be instantly rendered blind and defenseless. After that, it’s not hard to imagine a phone call coming from Beijing to the Oval Office dictating our terms of surrender.
Just beyond earth orbit, the political and military leaders of Russia and China have made the surface of the moon a hard target. Both nations now openly proclaim that it is their intention to land their Cosmonauts and Taikonauts on the surface with the goal of establishing manned bases followed by manned colonies.
For them, this is a pragmatic, logical and militarily sound decision.
The moon is three days from earth. Mars is upwards of a year.
Whether we want to admit it or not, from earth orbit to the surface of the moon, life on earth can be impacted or even controlled economically and militarily.
While it may offend the politically-correct sensibilities some, Russia and China do put their survival above all. Toward that end, they understand that wherever they extend their sphere of influence, they will need a military presence to protect it. And expand it.
As we – based on the teachings of that well-known philosopher Pollyanna -- increasingly talk about the wonder and “togetherness” of humans on Mars, the political and military leaders of Russia and China look toward the moon and see…their future.