The Space Station Partnership Is Worth Saving
I’ve been to space with Russians. Threatening our partnership there is senseless., OpEd by Scott Kelly, Washington Post
“Forty-seven years ago, before most Americans were born, an Apollo spacecraft docked with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit. A hatch opened between them, and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Leonov and NASA astronaut Tom Stafford came together to shake hands. Their handshake was a historic moment that brought our two countries one step closer to the end of the Cold War. Now those hostilities are being reignited. The people of Ukraine are paying the price for Putin’s aggression, and our peaceful cooperation in space may as well. I also fear for the Russian people and the effect that sanctions will have on their lives. I have many friends in Russia, some in the space program and others not, and they have different opinions on this war. There are those who believe that the war is the criminal act of one man; the others — well, they have been brainwashed by a state-controlled media led by a master propagandist. The International Space Station is a great symbol of cooperation between formerly warring countries. But it is also a real place where people live, work and form unbreakable friendships.”
Yes. Until the ISS is retired (for the sake of our investment). But not with the Russians again . Not for a very long time.
I respect Scott Kelly. Greatly. If he has the friendships and relationships of value he claims, they will survive this era. If not, they were not worth sustaining.
However, this time, after this immoral human calamity brought upon a peaceful people, I cannot in good conscience support his opinion. Hope is not a strategy for success. An executable plan which evolves as circumstances dictate IS a strategy for success. For the armchair critics out there, that is the nature of flight PLANning, which I did successfully in all-weather environments, and while operating high-performance civilian aircraft for twenty years.
Nothing from the US for Russia. Not one thin dime of taxpayer money for anything, including cooperative space exploration. At this junction of history, I could give a damn what happens to their aerospace industry, or if they ever have the industrial base to support space exploration for a thousand years. I know all about the thousands of Russian aerospace professionals who will be horribly affected by this. With respect, so what? How about the suffering their own country and leadership has delivered upon Ukraine? And the arguments about “how this kind of response will affect American aerospace labor and business” is fallacious. Have you heard of a US company called SpaceX?? I am sure they are looking for a few good men.
In order for mankind to truly inherit the stars, we must recognize our civilization is at a pivotal moment in its collective history, where the wrong decision(s) will drive us back to the cave, and due to the selfishness of a very small number of despots. We can decide as a civilization that this kind of ruthless, destructive, and again, immoral world leadership is unacceptable, and choose to do something about it, regardless of the cost. We are all going to have to sacrifice through this terrible era. I explain further in a following paragraph.
I’m fine with a “no expiration date” moratorium on ANY and ALL United States space cooperation with Russia. Political expediency be damned. The Russians break agreements frequently, demand one-sided concessions, beg financial support, sabotage their own hardware, then toast the taxpayers of the US as useful idiots. I’m done with this; if any American has a shred of human decency, they should be as well.
Putin and any Russian who supported Ukrainian crimes against humanity must be held accountable by the International World Court, tried, and executed for what they have done in Ukraine before any thought or discussion of US space exploration cooperation is EVER considered.
The problem with America is it forgives and forgets too easily. I thankfully have not had any of my Ukrainian friends killed. But all are refugees spread across Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania.
I am actively financially supporting one of them, as she has lost everything. Her home, personal belongings, job – all gone. The woman I mention NEVER did anything to deserve this experience. Millions of her fellow countrymen now are refugees. Hundreds if not thousands of unnecessary deaths, destroyed families, and murdered children. None deserving of such a life experience. It is Hitler’s reign of terror, again.
Thankfully, my other friends have mostly have some measure of resources. I leave for Romania on April 11, with no plan to return to the States any time soon. This is my sacrifice to serving a greater good in the world, rather than enjoying my comfortable retirement. If NATO is finally drawn into this war, then I am risking my life and all I have worked for to help my friend. I hope it is evident I am putting my actions where my mouth is.
The easiest way we can eliminate Russia’s despicable behavior, is to COMPLETELY sever financial ties with Russia in all ways and means possible. Let the Russians begin to starve to death. Provided Putin does not use chemical weapons on his own people, they could rise above this evil government and leader to overthrow it, and replace it with something, hopefully, far better.
Quote by Marie Yovanovitch, former US Ambassador to Ukraine:
“They (Ukrainians) view this (war), I think rightly so, as a campaign of extermination, exterminating Ukraine, exterminating the Ukrainian people. You’ve heard the things that Putin has said that Ukraine is not a country, the Ukrainian people are not a separate people from the Russians, and he is doing his best to eradicate the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian country, Ukrainian culture.”
Why does Russia have a right to survive as a country and a people, while dictating that Ukraine and it’s people, do not???
My plan to help end this war, is inclusive of ending Russia’s participation on the ISS:
1) ALL (as in 100% of) RUSSIAN FINANCIAL / TECH / IT / ENGINEERING / BUSINESS TIES TO THE US MUST BE SEVERED AND/OR FROZEN. This is an executable, achievable plan for success against Russia, and on behalf of Ukraine.
2) Give notice to the Russians that they must undock their segment of the ISS within 60 days of written notice, unless Russia COMPLETELY withdraws from Ukraine. This one is hard to enforce; however, it will shake up Rogozin, and his minions. Tell them in no uncertain terms to get the hell off the station. We might be surprised if they agree to do so, and let them go at their own peril.
3) Work with SpaceX for executing a workable and achievable PLAN to support ISS reboost, if not evolutionary expansion. There are plenty of Falcon 9 launch vehicles around – I will wager SpaceX already is formulating a real and achievable plan to support the ISS.
It may seem silly to paraphrase a dialog line from Star Trek, here. Nevertheless, I will, as it acutely describes my armchair experience in life with the Russian government, and the way I see the US relationship with Russia, now:
“… We’ve made too many compromises already; too many retreats. They invade our lands and we fall back. They murder innocent people without remorse and we fall back. They assimilate entire countries and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here. This far, no further!”
It’s past time we cut off the head of the Russian snake. Putin has ordered the extermination of Ukrainian civilians, and literally destroyed a trillion US dollars of property in Ukraine. I have no doubt given the chance, all of Europe and the US will be next IF he believes we are too weak as a people to stop him.
We are ALL Ukrainians, now; seen in Lewisville, Texas, today: https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
In my opinion, the “overview effect” is nonsense. If your view of the world, its geology, and its history is so limited we have to fly you up 200 miles to look down and understand that we all live on a beautiful planet that really shouldn’t be destroyed, then maybe we’re sending the wrong kind of people into space. Espousing that “effect” is essentially telling the rest of us we can’t possibly understand their enlightenment. OK. I’ve spent thousands of hours underwater in our seas across the world so I guess I’ve got the “underview effect.” Don’t you dare tell me I’m not a better person than you because of it! And Mr. Kelly, I have to tell you right now when anyone calls the Russians our “partners,” I cringe inside. I guess that’s the difference between the underview and the overview.
A reminder to all (if Keith has the guts to let this be posted): Homer Hickam supported the January 6 insurrection.