Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, really knows his stuff when it comes to space travel. Musk understands that space travel is an inherently risky undertaking, but at the same time, he understands that it is vitally important to get there, work, and live in space because it represents humanity's only hope for long-term survival.
More than that, he understands that part of space travel has to just be fun, and that dreamers think about it every day. And for those dreamers, Musk recently Posts“Let's make Starfleet Academy a reality!”
“Starfleet Academy” is a fictional institution made famous by “Star Trek,” and the dreamers Musk hopes to inspire and challenge with this line, which has been viewed more than 57 million times as of this writing.
Musk also posted: “Who would have thought SpaceX would be ahead of Tesla in ride-hailing?” It's a funny comment, but unfortunately it highlights a very serious issue: Two astronauts are stranded on the International Space Station until at least early 2025 due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner that took them there.
Starliner was set to launch on June 5th with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on an eight-day mission to the International Space Station. Unfortunately, the Boeing Starliner suffered a helium leak shortly before launch, and the situation worsened when the spacecraft docked with the ISS.
Several previous attempts to launch the Boeing Starliner have been halted due to, you guessed it, helium leaks. Given this, did NASA and Boeing rush the launch on June 5th? Did they feel pressured to launch? If so, who was applying the pressure?
This scenario is unfortunately reminiscent of the tragic Space Shuttle Challenger launch carrying “space's first teacher,” Christa McAuliffe, on January 28, 1986. Knowing that the O-rings in the shuttle's solid rocket boosters were susceptible to damage in cold weather, NASA had already postponed the launch by several days due to weather conditions.
Some have always believed that with all the hype surrounding the “first teacher in space” and millions of students watching in their classrooms, NASA was under a lot of pressure to get the spacecraft off the ground.
We are all human, and humans make mistakes in judgment. Going back to the Boeing Starliner, did anyone feel pressured to launch after so many aborted launches?
Whatever the answer to that question, Musk's SpaceX will now be retrieving stranded astronauts from the space station. Unfortunately for Boeing, Recent Headlines A New York Post article says it all: “Boeing employees are 'humiliated' by upstart rival SpaceX's rescue of astronauts trapped in space. 'It's disgraceful.'”
As Boeing faces one public relations embarrassment after another after at least 20 whistleblowers have come forward to voice concerns about safety and quality issues, here's a quote that illustrates the problem: NPR reported“Most of Boeing's problems are cultural,” said Richard Aboulafia, an aviation industry analyst at Aerodynamic Advisory. “Management had zero connection to the people who actually designed, integrated and manufactured the company's products, and that's where the trouble began. We've seen this in jet planes, defense products and, of course, space systems.”
Many have wondered whether Boeing, NASA, and other companies and institutions are setting themselves up for potential failure because they hire based on “cultural,” DEI, or identity politics policies. To be clear, I don't care if they hire gay, straight, transgender, black, white, male, female, faith-based, or atheist employees. The most qualified person should get the job based on merit and real-world experience.
Some believe that hiring decisions should be based on merit above all else, especially in jobs that involve human lives. Some on the left believe that this should be an immutable common sense rule, but others believe that it should not.
Consider now NASA, a space agency beset with problems and in the midst of a crisis of credibility, whose current leadership some see as embracing a “woke” policy while ignoring very harsh realities, such as China's growing military ambitions in space and on the moon.
All of these harsh realities revolve around former President John F. Kennedy's call to make the United States the “preeminent space nation.” Historic speech On September 12, 1962, at Rice University, Kennedy emphasized, “We intend to be part of the world. And we intend to lead the world. The eyes of the world are now turned to space, to the moon and to planets beyond. And we have pledged to see the world ruled not by the banner of hostile conquest, but by the banner of freedom and peace.”
Kennedy knew what many forget: that humankind's flaws, greed, and military ambitions can and will extend to space, and that if the United States was not the “preeminent spacefaring nation,” its national and economic security could be at great risk.
The truth is, NASA is a mess, our human space program is a mess, our space priorities are a mess, and our national and economic security is increasingly at risk.
I understand why many on the left are opposed to Musk, but they need to see the bigger picture: Musk is a visionary who gets things done.
Not only that, but he is passionate about space and about getting humanity off Earth permanently to ensure our survival, so I think he should take over the U.S. manned space program.
Douglas MackinnonFormer White House and Department of Defense official.
