Imagine you are standing on a beach...
...your bare feet sunken into the sand, a gentle, salty breeze blows past you. Listening to the waves softly lap against the shore, you look up to the sky. You see hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of bright, twinkling lights. Stars. There are so many, just the many grains of sand you stand on. You think to yourself, how many of those stars have planets revolving around them, just like our sun in our solar system? There is absolutely no way that out of the trillions of stars in the night sky, not one holds an Earth-like planet in orbit. On that Earth-like planet, there has to be life. To us, that is alien life. To them, we are the aliens. “Why haven’t we found them?” you may ask. Now imagine a person standing on a beach halfway across the world, thinking the same thoughts and asking the same questions as you. The clearest answer is, it’s just not that easy. That type of discovery is going to take a lot of brains, and a lot of cooperation.
Space exploration and politics are all too familiar, but where do they intersect? How does this intersection affect one or the other?
It can be seen that many countries around the world strive for further exploration into space; however, many of them rarely cooperate. Some have never cooperated at all. If anything, space exploration has always been a competition between countries. A perfect example of that is the Space Race. This was the space-related competition between the United States and the USSR during the Cold War. An article from History.com states, “On October 4, 1957, a Soviet R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile launched Sputnik (Russian for ‘traveler’), the world’s first artificial satellite and the first man-made object to be placed into the Earth’s orbit. Sputnik’s launch came as a surprise, and not a pleasant one, to most Americans” (“The Space Race”). Thus, the race to explore outer space began between the United States and Soviet Union. There are now many more countries, including China, Japan, Russia, and India, pushing and testing their limits into outer space. A Business Insider article states that China’s main space agency, the China National Space Administration (CNSA), has “landed a small telescope on the moon, which is still up there taking crystal-clear images of the cosmos,” and “operates its own space lab called Tiangong 1, is testing powerful new rockets, and has ambitious plans to land more probes on the moon and perhaps a colony there one day” (“Why NASA won’t work with China”). How could more international cooperation assist surging past these limits?
Space exploration is not easy. Humans as a whole have come a long way when it comes to exploring outer space. There have been multiple missions to Mars, and even some missions to planets as far as Pluto! Earth could eventually send humans to Mars, but there has to be a huge cooperation between countries all over the world in order to achieve this. How much more could humans achieve if there was international cooperation for space exploration?
There are some “space laws” in place already. In 1967, an Outer Space Treaty was made. According to the Arms Control Association, this treaty “entered into force Oct. 10, 1967, and has 110 states-parties, with another 89 countries that have signed it but have not yet completed ratification” (“The Outer Space Treaty at a Glance”). The same article states that the 1967 Outer Space Treaty “bans the stationing of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in outer space, prohibits military activities on celestial bodies, and details legally binding rules governing the peaceful exploration and use of space”. Although these are all great when it comes to the protection of space, in society today, it is not enough. There are now Space Forces, lower Earth atmosphere satellites, and so many new space-related technological advancements. According to an NPR article, “Military systems in space provide crucial information to the troops. For example, GPS satellites help the military hit targets precisely. Satellites gather intelligence, detecting things like missile launches. They're also used for communication and collect data on the weather” (“Trump Created the Space Force. Here’s What it Will Actually Do”). The same article states that “Joan Johnson-Freese, a space security expert at the U.S. Naval War College” said, “Russia and China may be interested in interfering with that flow of information, she said. But she’s concerned that the way Trump described space – as a war-fighting domain – could be provocative to those countries”. Because this treaty is from 1967, it does not include a plan, laws, or rules for these types of things.
The International Space Station (ISS) is to be defunded in 2024 because of budget conflicts. NASA and the US government wish to put ISS funding money elsewhere. The International Space Station was the first major international collaborative space project. Many refer to the station as one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments. The ISS is a wonderful example of how international cooperation is able to enhance our space explorative abilities. Astronauts from multiple different countries including the US, Russia, and Japan, have been able to work together to discover amazing new things. Not only that, but according to an article from NASA, the construction of the space station allowed for incredible new technological advancements outside of space science, including LED lights that reduce pain and increase healing speed, the Life Support System that filters and recycles water, and robotics that can be used for difficult surgical procedures (“International Space Station Spinoffs”). A Scientific American article quoted Eric Stallman, Commercial Spaceflight Federation president as he said, “‘Only now are we finally reaching the full operational level for which ISS had been designed,’ Commercial Spaceflight Federation president Eric Stallmer said in a statement. ‘An early retirement of the station prior to 2028 would not allow sufficient time to leverage the asset appropriately…, the ISS should fly throughout a transition period until such time as we have a sustainable orbital economy, more likely to be in place by 2028.’” (“NASA Budget Proposal Defunds Space Station, Space Telescopes and More”). It is very important that the International Space Station stay in commission until at least the late 2020s. This provides more time for international collaboration between countries to grow and change. Furthermore, if society sees more cooperation between different countries, more funding will be available for use.
China is a global superpower, but has not been included in many different international space exploration projects. When the International Space Station was created, many countries around the world were involved. China was not one of them. Some of the greatest minds in the world come from China, yet the country has not been included in many of the international collaborative space projects. An article from Business Insider states that “in 2011, Congress passed a spending bill that expressly forbids NASA from working with China, citing a high risk of espionage” (“Why NASA won’t work with China”). The United States government fears that working with China will put US national security at risk. Although this is the largest reason China and the US have not cooperated when it comes to space exploration, NASA’s overall budget is another reason. The Business Insider article uses quotes from space policy expert, John Logsdon. Logsdon wrote about the drop in NASA’s federal budget between John F. Kennedy’s presidency and Richard Nixon’s presidency saying, “‘By the time Nixon left the White House, the NASA budget had fallen from its peak of almost 4% of the total federal budget to less than 1%’” (“Why NASA won’t work with China”). If more countries begin to work together, more money will be available for use by NASA and other space agencies across the world. NASA has shown interest in working with the China National Space Administration (CNSA); however, making this governmental policy change is going to be difficult. International cooperation that includes China is necessary for the future of space exploration.
In a world where international cooperation is so difficult, how will it be achieved when it comes to space exploration?
Without international cooperation, deep space exploration is going to get more and more difficult. Society is in need of a new global organization, The Lyra Project.
Lyra is a constellation of a harp, named after a Greek stringed instrument called a lyre. In Greek mythology, this constellation represents the lyre of Orpheus, which was originally made by Hermes. A lyre uses different sizes of strings to produce a beautiful, harmonized melody. The Lyra Project is going to include many countries around the world for more peaceful and productive space exploration.
The group of people working on The Lyra Project will be space scientists, politicians, and business men and women from every country pursuing deeper exploration into space. Groups of sociologists and communicators will also be included because this project is a cooperation between societies and people, not just their governments. According to Dr. Don McCarthy, an astronomy professor from the University of Arizona, there has to be the “ability to connect with different perspectives” (McCarthy) from the people within this project. Those that are part of this project will be selected based on their skill sets and past experiences such as careers and personal projects.
In order to achieve greater things when it comes to space exploration, this project will need all sorts of different people from many different countries and backgrounds to put their heads together. Dr. McCarthy said, “If you’re gonna have cooperation, there has to be something in it for everyone” (McCarthy). He then suggested technology transfers as a benefit. Maybe one country has a certain technology that another has been working on for years. One country can share its technology in exchange for cooperation. Furthermore, the hope is that all those included in this project will have a common goal, which is to explore further into outer space than ever before. Having mutual benefits and this common goal is vital. Those involved in The Lyra Project must be able to leave their Earthly conflicts behind, and see the bigger picture. Each and every member must be passionate about space exploration so this common goal can be kept in mind. The Lyra Project works for the greater good of humanity.
Through this project, new rules, laws, and treaties involving all aspects of space exploration will be put into place. It is very important that these new and updated space laws are created and executed. What we have right now is not enough. It does not outline all the new and upcoming space technology we have in today’s society. For example, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty states nothing about the actual void of outer space. It only prohibits military action on celestial bodies and the use of weapons of mass destruction in outer space. Furthermore, it states nothing about the use of space forces. The Lyra Project will solve this issue because its members will be able to come to a consensus on international space laws for current and future technology and force.
The International Space Station will continue to be funded and used by all countries involved in The Lyra Project. Trust will be built or strengthened between countries that were originally part of the ISS, and the ones that will be added. Because more countries around the world will be involved in the ISS, more money for funding will be available. One of humanity’s greatest accomplishments and the epitome of international cooperation must continue to fly.
In order for The Lyra Project to become a reality, society needs to see the fate of space exploration. Currently, countries are just copying each other and competing. Many are working on very similar projects. How much better would it be if they all worked together on one big project? Or multiple, very different, smaller projects? International cooperation is vital for the continuation of space exploration.
Next, the project needs to become a movement. It needs to gather more awareness. Social media and the internet are both huge in society today. Social media platforms for The Lyra Project will be created, and an official website will be put into place. This way, it will gain more popularity and a larger audience.
With the project gaining popularity, partnerships will be made. The idea of The Lyra Project will be introduced to companies like SpaceX, NASA, and Blue Origin. Through these partnerships, the project will get an even larger audience, and will get even more attention.
The next thing that needs to happen is getting the government involved. International cooperation can not be achieved without government involvement. By having partnerships with large companies that are already involved with the government, this will be much easier.
The Lyra Project is accepted by the United States government, and planning begins as to how international cooperation will begin and eventually be achieved.
Imagine a world where countries work together for the greater good of humanity. Imagine a world where we are able to forget our tensions, set our differences aside, and accomplish amazing things together. As humans, we are all so different, but there is something we have in common. Humans yearn to explore and to discover more. At heart, we are explorers that wish to adventure well beyond what we already know.
Now imagine sitting in your living room, watching tv. Imagine that you watch as the first human sets foot on Mars, just as Neil Armstrong did on the moon. Now think bigger. Imagine the entire world sits and holds its breath as this event takes place. Imagine all those who cooperated, from America to China, the two countries with the thorniest relationship, are watching their vision become a reality. How incredible would it be to see something like that, to feel all the emotion surrounding it? This can not happen unless the people of the world see the bigger picture. We know how to set aside our differences, but will we actually do it to achieve greater things? Not only for space exploration, but for humanity as a whole.
What I am going to ask of you is very easy. It is something we are all used to, and can do very well. Use your voice. Tell people about The Lyra Project. Tell them how important it is, and encourage them to tell others. Spread the word! Call your congressperson and tell them that our government must take action. Go to The Lyra Project’s website (www.LyraProject.org) and sign up for newsletters, or make donations to help get the project going. Join the effort! Follow The Lyra Project on social media (@theLyraProject on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). Use your own platforms to share information and updates. Know that you have a say, and use that voice! We must leave our Earthly conflicts behind as we leave this planet and travel to new worlds. The future of space exploration lies in your hands, what are you going to do with it?