Space matters!

I have always been a huge fan of human space exploration.

I was born shortly after men have set their foot on the Moon. In my childhood, I watched the first launch of the space shuttle on TV. I remember the space stations Skylab and Mir fall, and of course, I’m a huge fan of the ISS.

My great love for Science Fiction is no coincidence. It has been heavily influenced by humanity’s efforts to expand its final frontier during my lifetime.

And yet: The Artemis mission somehow fails to ignite in me the same passion as the missions of the past, which I actually did feel during the deployment of the James Webb Telescope.

Maybe, it’s because it feels a bit pointless, which in a way, it is. Sure, it shows that we can still do it, after almost 60 years.

When Magellan’s flotilla did the first round trip around the entire world, it was a huge event in the 1520s. When Drake became the first Englishman to do so, 60 years later, it was certainly also a big thing for the aspiring colonial power, but it didn’t have the same impact on science, geography and nautical technology as the first voyage had been.

The current mission is certainly technologically demanding and most certainly will provide some scientific knowledge, but especially in the realm of science, hardly anything that couldn’t have been done much more cost effective with unmanned probes.

Maybe, it’s also about some general disenchantment with current space technology altogether. I don’t care the slightest about space tourism and the deployment of enormous amounts of internet hubs and possibly data centres in Low Earth orbit simply makes me mad for its impact on astronomy and the enormous risk, they pose for the upper atmosphere and the ozone layer for generations to come. And I didn’t even mention the possibility of a Kessler event, which might make all human space exploration impossible for a long time. And all this for what? To satisfy the greed and ambition of some corporations and multi-billionaires. No, thanks!

So what purpose does this mission serve?

Same as in the first space race, great part of it is politically motivated. Only this time, the adversary is not the Soviet Union, but China.

This seems to be the main driving force behind the mission. Other reasons, as developing the technology to build a permanent presence on the Moon and to eventually travel to Mars, seem to be just pipe dreams to me. Sending people to Mars is still so far out of our possibilities that it won’t happen without a major technological breakthrough, which won’t happen with this mission.

A permanent presence on the Moon would probably be possible with the means of our current technology, but alas, I do think the costs would be so huge and the actual benefit so little, that I don’t think it will become reality in the foreseeable future.

Do I think, people shouldn’t travel to space at all?

On the contrary! The ISS is a wonderful example of international cooperation for real advancement in science. Still: It is ageing and will need big refurbishments or a modern replacement. And this is where the money would be far better invested, same as in more unmanned probes to explore our solar system.

And here comes the uplifting part: If Artemis draws people’s and politicians’ attention towards the importance of actual meaningful space travel, hence focussing on the permanent space station and preserving our night sky’s and low orbit’s integrity, it is a good thing.

I have not given up hope and my best wishes go to the Orion crew in their incredible journey and to the following landing mission.