by Now that the elections are over and the 119one The congress is about to meet and nowhere is the need to get back to work again more important than in the field of national security.
The continuous ambitions of China are central in space, where new details about their plan for a manned space flight to the Moon appear in just five years.
We have seen China make remarkable progress in space in recent decades. Some of these achievements and actions were challenging and brutal, such as the anti-satellite test with a ballistic rocket in 2007. Others were stable and step-by-step, such as the design, development, launch, construction and the final exploitation of the Tiangong-Space Station . . But the general pattern that is at work is that China seriously wants to become an important, capable, technologically skilled and constant global player in space travel. It is for these reasons why recent news from the Chinese space program may not be lightly conceived or if purely propaganda or geopolitical attitude should be dismissed. It is also the reason why policy makers should keep the pedal on the metal in a series of crucial American civil, commercial and national security spaces and efforts.
The new Trump government and the congress must give priority to space program initiatives that fundamentally promote the American manned space travel and the sustainable objectives of the presence in space. These include, among other things, the privatization of outdoor posts with a low lane around the earth (Leo), encouraging the development of the cislunar infrastructure, occupying a permanent presence on the moon and finally, preparing long -term missions to both The moon as to mars. Our limited national resources must be focused and committed to these needs – especially now that other players around the world continue their ambitious plans to constantly place and retain their citizens in space, such as the Chinese International Lunar Research Station. Other policy areas and worries – such as climate monitoring – are important and deserve attention. But they should not be at the top of the NASA priority list. The original, floating objectives of NASA in the mid -1920sone century people would bring in space and the moon – it is remarkable that these goals now seem just as relevant and important as the late 1950s and the rest of the 1960s.
At the same time, NASA and the American Space Force (and other key elements of defense technology and scientific community such as DARPA or the Service Research Laboratories) must continue to exert pressure on advanced technologies and capacities in space. Advanced scientific research, high -tech production and industrial innovation remain key elements behind the power of our defense and national security advantage. We have to stay sharp in this area while competitors around the world work fiercely to close the gaps.
More generally, everything must be made to encourage the space and technology industry of the private sector to contribute to the national security spaces of our country. At the same time, the new Trump and Congress government must try to remove valuable, time-consuming administrative hassle and other unnecessary barriers to innovation and development by reforming regulations and legislation. This means that the intellectual property of the technological innovators must be protected in combination with encouraging very capable private companies. It would also include the ‘quick failure’ posture, in combination with competitions with several participants to cover risks. Moreover, it could be considered to include excess, mass -produced, cheaper components and systems in combination with the targeted development of space -specific technology. This also means the development of systems for multiple purposes in combination with the possibility to upgrade blocks to achieve a long -term goal step by step.
To be honest, it can get rid of the government a lot to get what we need in the room faster and cheaper. In general, the removal of barriers and stimulating advanced technology developers to work with the government will be crucial. And much of this may not be partial because it would contribute to the economic growth of both the blue and the red states and would be good for the nation in general.
With regard to the daily business side of the operations of space programs, there are steps that NASA can take from the perspective of generating requirements, contracts and standards, which would streamline the way in which the work is done and reduce the costs. NASA, for example, has long been known as an organization that uses the highest standards in the field of platform and component design, technical specifications, testing and development. But although this is important for good reasons and should not change, there is no reason for simple component requirements why impossible and expensive standards should be maintained at the expense of technically responsible and timely delivery to the government. However, streamlining by the government may not be at the expense of reasonable safety or quality standards.
For human accommodations, close tolerances, which require extremely accurate monitoring, can be relaxed without harming the residents. At the moment, for example, the requirements for the oxygen content in the atmosphere of spacecraft are so strict that life in most of Colorado violates boundaries, I discovered while performing Environment for Climate Simulations (ECLIS) systems, mainly focused on water purification , for NASA. Moreover, the standards for water quality are so high that filtered water purchased in the store would not pass the test. Marge on margin on margin is added until even robust, ground -suitable components are unacceptable to NASA. Time is money, and by keeping programs on schedule, costs are saved and further complications are avoided. In addition, shifted schemes have been stolen progress on systems that could have been completed and flown earlier and could later have been upgraded.
The challenges and worries around the world do not disappear. Our opponents have indicated that they do not intend to give up their agenda in space. And although their progress can cause the alarm, it also offers an opportunity for a more comprehensive, coordinated and progressive response. Our leadership now has the opportunity to reside and reject – it is up to us whether we have the will, the feeling and sharpness of understanding the dark clouds on the horizon and our position in space Strengthen.
Grant Anderson, PE is the president and CEO of Paragon Space Development Corporation, which focuses on living support and thermal control in extreme environments. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Aviation and Space Technology from Stanford University.
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