Not Enough Space In Space...

I couldn't help but notice that the "space race" is in full swing right now. China, India, the USA all putting missions into the wild blue yonder in the past few months. It is exciting, a bit saddening, and somewhat eerie to me. I'll explain...

The race for dominance in space was always run between the USA and Russia. The USA had far better results to report to the public and the space program became a source of pride for Americans. Budgets for NASA ballooned each year...and have now topped out at about 21 billion dollars per year. The idea that we have the technology to not only put a man on the moon, but to also send probes into the deeper regions of space ignites the passion of exploration in all of us. It is exciting!

It is a bit saddening to me to think that India and China have been able to achieve remarkable results in space travel in such a short period of time. I am sure that in many ways, they were standing on the shoulders of giants that had gone before them. It is a bit of a wake up call too. Space is no longer the exclusive domain of the USA....Globalism has met Universalism.

What is truly eerie to me is the motivations of all three countries I am writing about for wanting to be in space right now. Flexing technological muscle is one possible explanation, but it seems a bit contrived to spend that much money on a talent show. One of the big Drudge headlines today was that the US astronauts will be drinking their own urine today (purified, obviously). I can't help but speculate what the reasons for these trips, so close in timeframe, are for.

There are tons of rumors out there...India scanning for Helium-3 on the lunar surface for fusion based power, Chinese surveillance technology and weapons technology testing...the list goes on...

There are also some interesting stories in the past months that have made the mainstream media regarding the appearance of UFO's. Maybe ET is buzzing us? Who knows.

With the current turmoil in the economies of the world, I hope that the events in space will make the study of science a little more appealing to students, and foster a spirit of cooperation for future exploration.

In the meantime, I'll keep my feet on the ground...and keep reaching for the stars.