Where’s Our Space Monkey?

The theocratic government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has apparently launched a monkey into space and returned him. The Mullahs sent their spacemonkey 80 miles above earth before bringing him back home. The Iranians join five other nations that have ever launched animals into space.

If true, this event highlights the ever shrinking lead that America holds over it opponents in space. After sending their first man to space in 2003, the Chinese followed up by launching a lunar probe (2007), conducting their first spacewalk (2008) and launching the first of three space station components (2012). Meanwhile the Russians currently operate the only vehicle capable of delivering men and supplies to the International Space Station. Even “our common people only eat grass” North Korea launched a satellite into space this year.

A large reason for America’s faltering lead is the diminution of NASA’s budget as a percentage of both GDP and the Federal Budget. President Obama continued along the sight-lowering path taken by a string of American presidents when he cancelled the Constellation Program that would’ve returned astronauts to the moon by 2020.

Many space analysts mistakenly argue that 1) the private sector will pick up NASA’s slack or 2) manned spaceflight is inefficient and impractical. Riding the Richard Branson express to lower earth orbit for 5 minutes of weightlessness would indeed be awesome, but it’s not the same as going to Mars. Watching Curiosity and Opportunity cruise across the Red Planet has been thrilling, but a man could cover more ground in a day than Opportunity has in a decade.

Additionally, machines will never be able to replace the human glory of manned exploration. Where would we be today if Christopher Columbus had placed Mechanical Turks on the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria and just sent them westward over the Atlantic!? Or if Roald Amundsen had launched wind-up penguins to conquer the South Pole!?¹  It’s clearly in mankind’s destiny to continue exploring beyond earth. Why is America voluntarily relinquishing the banner of this most important of human endeavors?

—

1. Okay neither of these examples make sense, BUT…