When dreams fail to launch

So the shuttles will stop flying from the USA into space starting this September after it makes its four launches that were scheduled. While I agree that going into outer space and learning about the solar systems and other systems out there will teach a lot and one can relate all of that to mankind itself, it is not about time to give a little focus on earth before you can start to look up? What do I mean by it? As a result of budget policies for the coming year, Obama had cut funds for space programs for NASA and had told NASA to work with private sectors to do any research or launching into space. There are many research divisions, for example, medical science, who do their research not waiting for government to sponsor but depend on private sectors to do the funding so that they can carry out their research, which all told is for the betterment of human kind and to learn more about human existence.


Many who are supporters of space program will argue that what Obama did by halting the funding to NASA, to stop launches will stop them from learning about space and hence the human race. I do support exploration, whether it is space program or ocean research, but when the situation here in the US has come to a point where one has to wonder where the next paycheck is going to come from to pay for the expenses to run a household and when the country is at the brink of depression, when the job losses is at the highest ever – 10%, I would want Obama to funnel all funding to improve the economy here, rather than worry about sending people to moon or further away to Mars.


Sure, the government or the private sectors will speed up the launching if they know of oil deposits or Uranium deposits in Mars, but we don’t know anything of that sort. So until such time we are better off, if everyone starts to look down instead of looking up into space. There is nothing wrong with NASA working with private sectors to help build a taxi service to ferry astronauts into outer space or depend on Russian shuttle to hitch a ride into space. There are shuttles that were built for private parties for a considerable amount just so they can travel into space. There are people out there who have the money to name a star that is being discovered in their name or their bestest. They have the money to fund such programs and NASA can sure use their help to get into outer space for the time-being until we are able to stabilize ourselves in terms of economy here.


I have read about Mars colony project and many fictional stories/books about Mars colony. Even if the U.S. astronauts succeed in going to Mars and in setting up a colony there, they will be working next on stopping other countries from getting there as if Mars is owned by the U.S. If I try to look ahead into the future of this project, all I can see are missiles showering from the heavens above (Mars) when we are fighting down below in Afghanistan or Iraq or any place for that matter. Instead of having to plan for wars from land, sea or air, we would be planning war strategies from outer space as well. In addition to this, are we forgetting that most of U.S is owned by China now? Instead of worrying that if we work with others outside of our country, we will lose the brain power of space programs, let us also work on removing ‘Owned by China’ from the U.S. soil and accept the temporary situation of depending on private sectors and collaborating with other countries for space research.