July 24th 2008
I just spent three days at the Lunar Space Conference, over the hill at Nasa Ames, not because I am a highly educated space scientist but because I aspire to become a fairly educated member of the American public .I care very much about the future, about genuine leadership and about the fate of a world where enlightened policy making must play the key role in ensuring a sustainable future for our future generations.
I returned both "illuminated" and deeply concerned. The current US push for the moon is passing by quietly enough for most people. Not too much publicity, certainly not of the controversial type, a token measure of international collaboration. Private sector support in particular from a newly configured, well endowed and entrepreneurial generation of local information technologists leading the rush to undertake space investment, by offering the 30 million Google X prize for a private sector rocket that will land and deploy a robot on the moon.
So far, so good, obviously given current levels of funding, Nasa cannot move into the settlement of a permanent moon base without private sector outreach and support. However although much talk at the conference was given over to discussion of modes of transportation, habitats and even possibilities for exploiting the moons possible resources, finding water and fuel, growing food and mining ores … the nagging questions about social responsibility remain unanswered.
Some certain benefits from the further space outreaches are expected in the nearer term. These prospects include critical research areas within our modern technological forums.
In particular for the fields of nano-technology, genetic engineering and laser based communications, larger and more stable zero gravity laboratories would provide particular and optimal conditions to unlock and engineer new types of medicines and enhanced computational achievements.
Policy making behind the current drive into an "industrial " or even a remunerative space capacity leaves much to be desired. G.L Kulcinsky, director of the Fusion Research Institute, currently sitting on the Nasa advisory committee estimates that the rare isotope Helium three, found in great abundance on the moon could provide a 10,000-year clean energy source for our future world through fusion reaction. Although such a fabulous prospect has not been overlooked or called out by the scientists, research within Tokomak facilities being an ongoing process, it might well have been already discretely overlooked within the obvious profile of the current space policy exposure.
The silence at our Lunar conference was a coherent and pervasive one, despite expansive talk about "industrialization of the solar system and mention of Columbus, Jefferson, the creation of wealth " and such. Why the low profile, I wondered? Surely Helium three would be the most genuine reason and the most probable prospect for productive lunar settlement. In fact the conclusion I came to was that the potential for Helium 3/ fusion energy was probably the prime motivating and political force behind the entire current moon settlement initiative, but an unstated and a discrete one. Not egomania I am sure, after all we have taken a trip this way before with the late Ronald Regan's Star Wars, now we have a parting shot from the incumbent George Bush for " industrialization " of the solar system.
The lack of overt discussion sets a dangerous precedent, as does the lack of proper international law, in particular concerning the generation of durable patent rights for private investors seeking space applications equity. It is inconceivable that an entire generation of valuable technological assets should be held by the handful of mega-rich who control the commercial arms of the current Nasa programs; equally inconceivable is the prospect of the Helium three energy resources being held by the multi-national energy consortiums without proper intra-governmental oversights. Our ensuing Moon and Space assets certainly belong to the people of this, our particular, destitute and sensitive human world. Certainly not to the financially motivated generations of casual space faring entrepreneurs who must not be permitted even by default to siphon the wealth of consensual international communities into a fabulous joy ride to Mars and beyond.
Early this morning, the day after the Lunar conference ended, Yahoo web sites hosted a press release for a book on robotic moon exploration: Inconstant Moon by Louis Varrichio 2006, within curiously enough the "Yahoo Finance" pages, an obvious placement for a very obvious purpose, but perhaps a not an altogether ethical usage of a public press utility that claims no interest in the discrete but insidious processes of public propaganda.
Barack Obama's policy speech, fortunately not at the " Brandenburg Gate " may well prelude the invitations to a newer but not less dangerous world. US initiative and outreach for technological innovation and technologically empowered international collaboration is badly needed, but such opening up must be preceded by close examination of many outstanding legal, treaty, ethical , environmental, and developmental responsibilities, if we are not to fall once again again into the well baited globalization traps from which we so hesitantly seek to emerge.
This world not only needs an innovative , inclusive and highly advanced industrial paradigm,
it seeks security on all levels and an equitability and availability of interests. The UN resolutions on the Peaceful Usage of Outer Space must be reexamined and reworked by the incoming US administration.
A deeper appreciation of the tremendous value of space based assets and the undertaking of a very inclusive international space agenda will be the key to achieving global consensus at this critical juncture. Such a focused agenda must include and support cooperative near space capacities for communications, space security and earth observation as well as the upcoming outreach to the moon and even beyond …
Pragmatic and integrated US legislation at treaty level is an essential for all three and equally significant levels of the upcoming and space related global progressions, space based security and deployment structures, commercial interests and finally and nearest to us all perhaps, rapid treaty level alignments for creation of a usable and information based global development clearing house.
The current moment is a historic and significant one, turning the corner into the Information Age proper requires recognition of the failings of private enterprise, the value of guided governmental oversights and the requirement to ensure that what is addressed first and foremost is a universal ethic of entitlement.
US might well choose to address the growing and dynamic economic issues through the legislative pathways, perhaps establishing Statutes for creation of a Non-Profit Corporation or the provision of Acts that emulate the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862.
However it will not be the self-defining postures of an enthusiastic Congress intent on
US revitalization that will bring leadership and greatness at a time of greatest need, but the careful fabrication of durable global policy mechanisms via an International and Treaty based referendum that will make the real difference.
Technology will work for us all, our computational capacity can also become the peaceful and benign guardian of our rights and privileges, but only if we can quickly realize the accessible and trans-political safeguards, allowances and adjustments that represent the most compassionate aspects of our collective expertise and our historical heritage.
The vehicle is burning up now , lets make sure that the trip to the moon does not become the final repository and focus for the establishment of a nihilistic, militarized and totalitarian global economy whose elite and isolated leaders profess equity and compassion, but whose short sighted and amenable mid-level management stylistics are totally inadequate to come to terms with the latent and destructive political, environmental and economic undertows.
A. Sinclair
Santa Cruz California
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