{"id":1141249,"date":"2021-12-22T09:06:09","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T14:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1141249"},"modified":"2021-12-22T09:06:13","modified_gmt":"2021-12-22T14:06:13","slug":"the-billionaire-space-race-and-the-brewing-interstellar-cold-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-billionaire-space-race-and-the-brewing-interstellar-cold-war\/","title":{"rendered":"The Billionaire Space Race, And The Brewing Interstellar Cold War"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-billionaire-space-race-and-the-brewing-interstellar-cold-war%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1141249&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Humans exploring Mars and other nearby planets, ferried by spaceships and accommodated in floating hotels. Habitats orbiting the earth, as well as 10-minute flights from one side of the planet to the other.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>These are just a few of the ideas that today\u2019s class of billionaire space explorers have envisioned.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Depictions that once drew ridicule or indifference because they seemed absurd are becoming a reality, with ideas from Isaac Asimov and Gerard K. O\u2019Neill shaping the future, and present, of space flight and exploration.<\/p>\n<p>In the past decade alone, there has been an unprecedented wave of new space activity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The interstellar Cold War<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the modern era, contests between world powers have often played out in the final frontier \u2014 outer space. And with these moves from the planet\u2019s most powerful governments, there are certainly echoes of the past Cold War contests between the Soviet Union and the United States. But how does the advent of private ventures change the game \u2014 and will they determine who will control space?<\/p>\n<p>While the United States has become by far the dominant force in space, there\u2019s actually a long <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20181204054125\/https:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/groups\/young_lawyers\/publications\/the_101_201_practice_series\/space_law_101_an_introduction_to_space_law\/\">history<\/a> of international space laws and treaties that began over 100 years ago. As early as 1919, nations agreed that a country\u2019s airspace was merely the area directly above its territory. When the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite in 1957, it violated this agreement. But President Dwight Eisenhower \u2014 knowing that the United States was interested in placing spy satellites above the Soviet Union \u2014 didn\u2019t raise any concerns.<\/p>\n<p>A decade later \u2014 around the same time the United States was setting its eyes on the moon \u2014 the United Nations agreed to an \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/treaties.unoda.org\/t\/outer_space\">Outer Space Treaty<\/a>.\u201d Signed in 1967, the agreement opens \u201cthe moon and other celestial bodies\u201d to the benefit of all nations \u2014 and defines them as \u201cthe province of all mankind.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, the treaty says that celestial bodies can only be used for peaceful purposes \u2014 meaning that no weapons of mass destruction are allowed in outer space.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Governments are also responsible for managing their national activities in space, whether carried out by official entities or private companies. And according to the agreement, each nation continues to have jurisdiction over all their objects and citizens in space. As of right now, 111 countries, including all of the spacefaring powers, have signed the agreement.<\/p>\n<p>But as we\u2019ve already seen, numerous world powers are actively pushing the limits of this treaty, with Russia\u2019s anti-satellite missile and China\u2019s globe-circling warhead standing as two clear examples.<\/p>\n<p>However, China\u2019s recent test isn\u2019t the only problem on the horizon. The main rival of the U.S. is also seeking to make a stake on the moon, while also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/opinion\/commentary\/2020\/06\/23\/china-wants-to-dominate-space-and-the-us-must-take-countermeasures\/\">investing<\/a> heavily in space weapons.<\/p>\n<p>China has landed four spacecraft on the moon, with one rover actively exploring the surface over the past two years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In a June 2020 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/opinion\/commentary\/2020\/06\/23\/china-wants-to-dominate-space-and-the-us-must-take-countermeasures\/\">article<\/a>, a U.S. intelligence officer wrote that although current missions are peaceful, China views space as \u201ca military domain\u201d and seeks \u201cto secure both economic and military advantages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She added that China has developed anti-satellite and electronic warfare capabilities that can be activated from earth or space. In 2018, the Chinese military launched units that would train soldiers in directing anti-satellite missiles.<\/p>\n<p>Recognizing this threat, President Trump established the United States Space Force in February 2019 as a sixth <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=O4IZrT-x808\">branch<\/a> of the American military. He <a href=\"https:\/\/trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov\/presidential-actions\/text-space-policy-directive-4-establishment-united-states-space-force\/\">noted<\/a> the reality of America\u2019s adversaries advancing their space capabilities and \u201cactively developing ways\u201d to deny America\u2019s use of space \u201cin a crisis or conflict.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In July 2021 the Defense Department\u2019s first head of space operations took a trip to Europe in an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/us-space-forces-seeks-allies-in-europe-guard-orbit\/\">attempt<\/a> to encourage allies like Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands to develop their own space military units, along the lines of France, Britain, and Germany.<\/p>\n<p>He explicitly said China and Russia\u2019s recent actions are \u201cdesigned to deny our access to space.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The current White House, however, doesn\u2019t seem to take the current space race \u2014 or threat \u2014 very seriously. When White House press secretary Jen Psaki was <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/lpzqq1O6i9Y?t=1226\">asked<\/a> whether Biden planned to keep the Space Force intact, for example, her sarcastic response indicated that she didn\u2019t even know who ran the organization.<\/p>\n<p><strong>China aims for the moon<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But while parts of the government might be asleep at the wheel, China is aiming for the moon \u2014 like the United States once did six decades ago.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In December 2020, the Chang\u2019e-5 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/16\/science\/china-moon-mission-rocks.html\">landed<\/a> on earth after collecting 4.4 pounds of lunar rocks \u2014 continuing research started by the Soviet Union in the 1970s.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And now, China is <a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/china-is-working-on-a-lander-for-human-moon-missions\/\">developing<\/a> new launch vehicles and a new spacecraft that can send astronauts to the moon, with the intent to set foot on the lunar surface in less than ten years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Again echoing the Cold War era, Russia and China are teaming up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/06\/15\/world\/asia\/china-russia-space.html\">complete<\/a> several joint missions \u2014 including a robotic voyage to an asteroid in 2024<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Humans exploring Mars and other nearby planets, ferried by spaceships and accommodated in floating hotels. Habitats orbiting the earth, as well as 10-minute flights from one side of the planet to the other.\u00a0These are just a few of the ideas that today\u2019s class of billionaire space explorers have envisioned.\u00a0Depictions that once drew ridicule or indifference because they seemed absurd are becoming a reality, with ideas from Isaac Asimov and Gerard K. O\u2019Neill shaping the future, and present, of space flight and exploration.In the past decade alone, there has been an unprecedented wave of new space activity.The interstellar Cold WarIn the modern era, contests between world powers have often played out in the final frontier \u2014 outer space. And with these moves from the planet\u2019s most powerful governments, there are certainly echoes of the past Cold War contests between the Soviet Union and the United States. But how does the advent of private ventures change the game \u2014 and will they determine who will control space?While the United States has become by far the dominant force in space, there\u2019s actually a long history of international space laws and treaties that began over 100 years ago. As early as 1919, nations agreed that a country\u2019s airspace was merely the area directly above its territory. When the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite in 1957, it violated this agreement. But President Dwight Eisenhower \u2014 knowing that the United States was interested in placing spy satellites above the Soviet Union \u2014 didn\u2019t raise any concerns.A decade later \u2014 around the same time the United States was setting its eyes on the moon \u2014 the United Nations agreed to an \u201cOuter Space Treaty.\u201d Signed in 1967, the agreement opens \u201cthe moon and other celestial bodies\u201d to the benefit of all nations \u2014 and defines them as \u201cthe province of all mankind.\u201d\u00a0Likewise, the treaty says that celestial bodies can only be used for peaceful purposes \u2014 meaning that no weapons of mass destruction are allowed in outer space.\u00a0Governments are also responsible for managing their national activities in space, whether carried out by official entities or private companies. And according to the agreement, each nation continues to have jurisdiction over all their objects and citizens in space. As of right now, 111 countries, including all of the spacefaring powers, have signed the agreement.But as we\u2019ve already seen, numerous world powers are actively pushing the limits of this treaty, with Russia\u2019s anti-satellite missile and China\u2019s globe-circling warhead standing as two clear examples.However, China\u2019s recent test isn\u2019t the only problem on the horizon. The main rival of the U.S. is also seeking to make a stake on the moon, while also investing heavily in space weapons.China has landed four spacecraft on the moon, with one rover actively exploring the surface over the past two years.\u00a0In a June 2020 article, a U.S. intelligence officer wrote that although current missions are peaceful, China views space as \u201ca military domain\u201d and seeks \u201cto secure both economic and military advantages.\u201dShe added that China has developed anti-satellite and electronic warfare capabilities that can be activated from earth or space. In 2018, the Chinese military launched units that would train soldiers in directing anti-satellite missiles.Recognizing this threat, President Trump established the United States Space Force in February 2019 as a sixth branch of the American military. He noted the reality of America\u2019s adversaries advancing their space capabilities and \u201cactively developing ways\u201d to deny America\u2019s use of space \u201cin a crisis or conflict.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In July 2021 the Defense Department\u2019s first head of space operations took a trip to Europe in an attempt to encourage allies like Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands to develop their own space military units, along the lines of France, Britain, and Germany.He explicitly said China and Russia\u2019s recent actions are \u201cdesigned to deny our access to space.\u201d\u00a0The current White House, however, doesn\u2019t seem to take the current space race \u2014 or threat \u2014 very seriously. When White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked whether Biden planned to keep the Space Force intact, for example, her sarcastic response indicated that she didn\u2019t even know who ran the organization.China aims for the moonBut while parts of the government might be asleep at the wheel, China is aiming for the moon \u2014 like the United States once did six decades ago.\u00a0In December 2020, the Chang\u2019e-5 landed on earth after collecting 4.4 pounds of lunar rocks \u2014 continuing research started by the Soviet Union in the 1970s.\u00a0And now, China is developing new launch vehicles and a new spacecraft that can send astronauts to the moon, with the intent to set foot on the lunar surface in less than ten years.\u00a0Again echoing the Cold War era, Russia and China are teaming up to complete several joint missions \u2014 including a robotic voyage to an asteroid in 2024 and the creation of a research base on the lunar south pole by 2030. Russia\u2019s own moon program, Luna \u2014 a callback to the Soviet program of the same name \u2014 was supposed to launch in 2021, but was pushed to May 2022 due to technical difficulties.Once again, this sets up China and the United States for more competition. Vice President Mike Pence said in 2019 that U.S. astronauts would be launched \u201cby American rockets, from American soil\u201d by the year 2024 through the Artemis mission \u2014 although that goal was more recently moved to 2025. Pence also hinted that the lunar south pole held \u201cgreat scientific, economic, and strategic value\u201d \u2014 and added that part of the mission would be putting the first woman and first \u201cperson of color\u201d on the moon.The role of private industry in the battle for spaceUnlike former lunar endeavors, private firms will play a sizable role in the astronauts\u2019 mission. NASA gave SpaceX nearly $3 billion to create a \u201chuman landing system\u201d for their final leg of the journey to the surface of the moon. The technology will include a fully reusable launch and landing system that can work alongside the Gateway outpost, which will orbit the moon and support long-term human returns to the lunar surface.But since its inception, SpaceX has always had its eyes on a far loftier target \u2014 Mars.Right now, Elon Musk and his company are testing the Starship rocket \u2014 which will be able to carry over 100 metric tons to space. SpaceX plans to one day launch Starship into low-earth orbit and refuel the vessel before it continues the long journey to Mars. By 2050, Musk wants to build a city of glass domes before eventually terraforming Mars to support life \u2014 all a part of mankind\u2019s journey to becoming a \u201cmulti-planet civilization.\u201dThe billionaire space raceSpaceX \u2014 the company founded by Elon Musk \u2014 has conducted over one hundred launches, including some manned missions. Blue Origin, the company created by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has had several successful test flights, including one with Bezos on board. Virgin Galactic has also had a successful test flight with its founder, Richard Branson.\u00a0SpaceX, the most prolific private spacefaring company, has driven a push toward cutting costs through reusable rockets capable of landing themselves. Since its inception, SpaceX has conducted over 130 launches, with several of the rockets used on multiple missions \u2014 one rocket, for example, has flown ten times.\u00a0In addition, the company has launched over 1,600 of its Starlink satellites, and has tested a prototype of its Starship rocket, which will eventually look to take passengers to Mars.Most notably, the NASA astronauts who became the first to launch from American soil in nearly a decade traveled on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, alongside a separate private, non-professional crew.The prospect of space tourism has also gained steam in recent months with activity from Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin.In July 2021, Virgin Galactic carried a small crew of civilians \u2014 including company founder Richard Branson \u2014 fifty-three miles above the earth on a rocket-powered plane. By a margin of only a few days, Branson edged out Jeff Bezos and his Blue Origin mission to win the first battle in the \u201cbillionaire space race.\u201dThe mission from Bezos and Blue Origin traveled about 13 miles higher into space for a 10-minute flight. Bezos was joined by his brother, Mark, as well as an 82-year old and an 18-year old \u2014 the oldest and youngest people to ever go to space. That was, of course, until the next Blue Origin flight carried William Shatner \u2014 the star of the original Star Trek TV series as Captain Kirk \u2014 to space.All of this activity means that there has been a massive flow of capital into the private space industry. According to one report, space ventures have seen nearly a quarter trillion dollars of investment in the last decade alone. But in addition to private companies, foreign powers are ramping up too.Russia and China compete for control of spaceFor example, Russia was widely condemned when it fired a missile at one of its old satellites in November, creating a dangerous debris field in low-earth orbit.Researchers have estimated that the real-world debris will threaten other satellites and spacecraft for years to come. Elon Musk said that his company\u2019s Starlink satellites have already had to adjust course to dodge the wreckage, which is traveling at 10 times the speed of a bullet.Months earlier, the Chinese government launched a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that circled the earth before zoning in on its target \u2014 with some lawmakers arguing that American technology was used to get the vehicle into low-earth orbit.\u00a0In response, the United States government is moving to counter this threat. NASA reportedly plans to launch its massive Space Launch System rocket soon, after several delays. The spacecraft stands an incredible 322 feet tall, 138 feet taller than the Space Shuttle.The U.S. Space Force also recently granted SpaceX permission to launch military satellites.***As competitors old and new, public and private, Eastern and Western, vye for control of space, it is clear that mankind will continue to lift its gaze to the stars.[embedded content]The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1141249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1141249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/77"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1141249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1141249\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1141249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1141249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1141249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}