CHINA is about to ignite a new space race,hoping to land its first mission on the Moon in a few years and challenge American dominance in the field. The incentives for funding space exploration faded after the United States beat the Soviet Union to the Moon, but rising Chinese ambitions could now fuel a whole new era of human competition in space. The United States should view competition with China as an opportunity, not a threat, for growth and development in the final frontier. This opportunity should be exploited by galvanizing the nation and the scientific community to launch a massive effort aimed at ensuring long-term exploration and, eventually, colonization.
China launched its first lunar orbiter last week, which, , along with previous Chinese missions, sends a message to competitors that a new chapter of scientific rivalry has begun. In an article last week the Christian Science Monitor called it "Asia's space race" , explaining, "The continent's giants are jockeying for position beyond the earth's atmosphere. Japan launched its own moon orbiter last month. India plans to send a similar satellite next year." It also concluded that the "dawn of the Asian space age ... has been darkened by suspicion, not cooperation." This backdrop leaves the United States in an uneasy position as it surveys future space policy. Should it pursue its own objectives or monitor and engage the competition?
The United States can achieve its goals in space, but we as a nation need to realize the fundamental importance of space travel. This importance is often lost in public dialogues and worries about spending, which often criticize the space program and even call for its complete elimination. According to NASA, its annual budget in recent years has hovered around $16 to $17 billion. The government should increase this significantly: At least one percent of our annual budget should be dedicated to NASA, which at current levels would put NASA's budget at a minimum of $20 billion. On top of federal-backed space exploration, the government should encourage private industries to launch their own space initiatives. This decentralization and dual-layered competition could spur technological growth and the rise of new ideas, giving us an edge over potential opponents.
People must become comfortable with the idea that human presence in space is more than just a luxury. Aside from sating our quests as naturally curious creatures, our presence in space could lead to colonization, which, if successful, would go a long way towards resolving Earth's developing problems with overpopulation. If that seems a bit too exotic and futuristic, then perhaps the collection of natural resources found on other worlds could better persuade doubters. As the Christian Science Monitor writes, "The moon is thought to be rich in Helium-3 ... which could one day be used for nuclear fusion to create energy." Humans could collect these resources more efficiently,, and, by the end of this century, the Moon should be littered with bases and outposts from various countries all over the world.
The United States should be more mindful of the activities of these other nations when it decides what to do in space. Countries like China, Japan and India, though currently behind our technological abilities, have the same drive and passion that this nation did in the early 1960s, when the Soviet Union led the race. To China in particular, space exploration is a matter of national pride -- a sentiment the United States should regain if it is to have long-term success against its new and daring rivals.
What we should not do is hide in a shell and pretend that space is not important to human civilization -- the nation's political will is just as integral to success as the strength of our rockets or the planning of our scientists. Once that political will settles down, the human imagination will be the last frontier.
Erald Kolasi's column appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at ekolasi@cavalierdaily.com.
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