SPACE INDUSTRY pros & cons

Nature & Cultures, the American University of Paris geographic magazine for global explorers
No. 8

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The Space Industry: Was It Worth All the Sacrifices?

On July 1969, just before the Apollo 11 mission was launched to the Moon, Reverend Ralph Abernathy, successor of Martin Luther King Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was leading demonstrators near the NASA’s launching pad near Cape Canaveral. Tom Paine who had just been appointed as NASA’s third Administrator, after the famous James Webb, met with Abernathy and his followers. NASA’s official historian tells the rest of the story:

“A light mist of rain fell intermittently, as thunder rumbled in the distance. Paine stood coatless under a cloudy sky, accompanied only by NASA's press officer, as Abernathy approached with his party, marching slowly and singing "We Shall Overcome." Several mules were in the lead, as symbols of rural poverty. Abernathy then gave a short speech. He deplored the condition of the nation's poor, declaring that one-fifth of the nation lacked adequate food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. In the face of such suffering, he asserted that space flight represented an inhuman priority. He urged that its funds be spent to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, tend the sick, and house the homeless.”
          Abernathy also added:
          ‘We may go on from this day to Mars and to Jupiter and even to the heavens beyond, but as long as racism, poverty and hunger and war prevail on the Earth, we as a civilised nation have failed.’
          According to his memo recorded a year later, Paine replied: "if we could solve the problems of poverty by not pushing the button to launch men to the moon tomorrow, then we would not push that button."

Above: The plans for the next missions to the Moon. The dilemma: how much will the could their budget be spent on urgent projects on Earth? (Source: NASA)

The impasse in this dialog seems to express a much deeper problem in interpreting the history of Space exploration and the American history linked to it. As the NASA historian comments: “Abraham Lincoln had proposed that ‘every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword’; yet the stain ran so deep that not even the Civil War could expunge it. Like Lincoln, Martin Luther King had grappled with this sin, had sought the moral authority to sway a deeply divided people; and like Lincoln, he had paid with his life, with his goal only partly won.”

Moreover, when we think of the lives sacrificed such as the 15 astronaut and 4 cosmonaut fatalities that occurred during spaceflight missions--numbers which include neither the casualties during airplane flights needed to qualify for space travel, nor the unreported accidents hidden to the public by Soviet authorities--we are driven to ask the question: “was it all worth it?”. Were the money and lives spent on outer space exploration worth whatever advances science and technology contributed to human history?

From left to right: astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger B. Chaffee, the crew of Apollo I, which was planned to e the first mission preparing for moon orbiting and landing ended in tragedy as all three were burned to death in an accidental flash fire. The name Apollo 1, chosen by the crew, was made official by NASA in their honor after the fire.

Photo.: NASA

Why Explore Space? It is Not as Costly as Many Believe.

One of the compelling arguments in favor of outer space exploration is the financial aspect. As NASA's Tom Paine aptly explained, the money spent on space exploration is merely a fraction of what is allocated to other government projects. Critics often raise concerns about the seemingly astronomical costs of space missions, but when compared to the overall budget of government expenditures, space exploration represents a relatively modest investment. The knowledge, technology, and economic spin-offs derived from space programs contribute to scientific advancements and economic growth, making the investment worthwhile.

The Cost to Taxpayers: Equivalent to a Daily Cup of Coffee

Contrary to popular belief, the financial burden on taxpayers for outer space exploration is far less than commonly perceived. A French space engineer recently highlighted that the annual expenditure of a typical European taxpayer on the outer space industry is equivalent to the price of a daily cup of coffee. This analogy underscores the affordability of space exploration and emphasizes that the benefits derived from space-related endeavors, such as technological innovation and job creation, far outweigh the minimal cost to individuals.

The US Federal budget for 2021. Compare the 54 billion dollars spent on Outer Space activities with all other government expenses.

Loss of Life: Acceptance of a High Risk ... Reduced by Ingenuity.

The dangers associated with space missions, is real. It is considered by the professionals of the aerospace industry that an astronaut going to the Moon had only one chance in two of returning alive. Lives were indeed lost during various space-related activities. However, when examined in perspective, the number of lives lost in the entire history of space exploration pales in comparison to the risk accepted or to the casualties in other high-risk activities, such as Formula 1 racing and especially deep sea diving. The risks assumed by astronauts and cosmonauts are well understood, and they willingly consent to them.
Also, they consider it a challenge to constantly invent methods to reduce the risks. Speaking to former American University of Paris Michael Simpson, who later became the President of the International Space University, Buzz Aldrin, second man on the Moon recalled how he and Neil Armstrong were perfectly aware of the odds. "But they knew", he affrimed with bravado, "that if anything went wrong, I was the best damn mechanic they could get to fix the problem!". Astronauts' commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and exploration is evident in their conscious decision to venture into the unknown. These individuals understand the challenges and uncertainties of space travel, yet they prefer the inherent risks to the alternative of remaining confined to Earth. Their courage and determination inspire others, and their sacrifices contribute to expanding the boundaries of human achievement.

The Dark Side

Space as a war machine, a war machine first built by the Nazis, and sold to Americans with vocabulary coming straight from the history of colonization and genocide of Indigenous popuulations raises another set of doubts about the legitimacy of the aerospace industry.

Colonialism

"Starship Troopers" published in 1959, about a war between humans and aliens is a distrubing example of good cowboy vs. bad Indians mythology transposed to Outer Space so often called "The Last Frontier." The novel also glamorizes militarism and what could be perceived as fascist values. The movie adaptation, a ferocious satire, brilliantly subverts Heinlein's ideological biases.

“When discussing space exploration, people often invoke stories about the exploration of our own planet, like the European conquest and colonization of the Americas, or the march westward in the 1800s, when newly minted Americans believed it was their duty and destiny to expand across the continent,” writes Nadia Drake for the National Geographic. “These narratives,” she deplores Nadia Drake, “are born from racist, sexist ideologies that historically led to the subjugation and erasure of women and indigenous cultures.". How much is the conquest of Outer Space the continuation of this culture of aggression and domination that has produced slavery and colonialism. What will it produce in the future? Only progress?
Despite its lofty goals of exploration and advancement, the outer space industry also carries a legacy marred by dubious origins, economic manipulation, and potential catastrophic consequences. Acknowledging these darker aspects is crucial for fostering a nuanced understanding of the space industry and challenging its narrative as an unmitigated force for progress.

The first operational rockets: A Nazi technology

Werner von Braun (in the center, in civilian clothes and Nazi party lapel pin) at the test site of Peenemünde surrounded by Wermacht officers. Source: Bundesarchiv.

Von Braun as as director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Source: NASA

The infamous V2 rocket and the devastating result of one V2 landing on a British city.

The roots of the outer space industry of the 1960s and 1970s can be traced back to the Third Reich, where under the ominous shadow of the Nazi regime, SS officer Werner von Braun spearheaded the development of V2 rockets. These technological marvels, however, were built using the abhorrent exploitation of slave labor at the Dora concentration camp and other sites. The destruction wreaked upon cities by the V1 flying bomb (what, in the 21st Century, would be called a drone) laid the groundwork for the even more lethal V2, forming the basis for post-war rocket technology. After his surrender to US Armed forces, von Braun was secretly moved to the United States, along with about 1,600 other German scientists, engineers, and technicians. He then worked for the United States Army on an intermediate-range ballistic missile program, and then became one of NASA's leading scientists and administrators, director of the Marshall Space flight Center, "father" of the Saturn V rocket and key figure of the American missions to the Moon.
The unsettling fact that former Nazi scientists became the architects of both the American and Soviet space programs raises ethical questions about the origins and moral foundations of the industry.

Furthermore, the economic motivations behind the space industry, as extrapolated from the principles laid out by liberal economists like Friedrich Hayek, raise concerns about its sustainability. Historically, governments have employed the space sector as a means to artificially generate jobs, reminiscent of the large-scale projects under the New Deal and the Third Reich. This strategy, while temporarily keeping workers employed, fosters a dependency on military contracts and aligns the industry with powerful military-industrial lobbies. The risk inherent in this approach is that nations may find themselves entangled in conflicts to justify the colossal investments in military budgets, including outer space missions. The specter of wars being initiated for economic reasons poses a significant ethical dilemma.

The economic ramifications of the space race are exemplified by the Soviet Union's financial collapse. French science journalist François de Closets who had covered the space race for decades, expressed in a 1999 documentary what many specialists of the Soviet Union already knew: the excessive budget allocated to the space exploration became a significant factor in the USSR's economic demise. [2] The relentless pursuit of space superiority strained the Soviet economy to the point of bankruptcy, highlighting the potentially ruinous consequences of prioritizing space exploration over more fundamental societal needs.

Useful after all

The spectacular success of landing on the moon diminished the sense of urgency and awe that had initially fueled enthusiasm for space exploration. Additionally, economic concerns and competing domestic issues led to budgetary cutbacks, diverting resources away from ambitious space programs and contributing to a waning interest in the exploration of outer space. Or did the public simply become bored? Could the arguments presenting the dark side of interstellar exploration have been simply an alibi for politicians to redirect government funds towards their own pet projects?

The Realist Point of View.

The first response to critiques of the outer space industry could be from the point of view of the school of realists. It would directly address the problem of the military nature of the industry. The equation is simple: if the United States and the USSR hadn’t both been competing in the race to space, one of them, with rockets and the atomic weapon would have been able to dominate the planet. It is clear what kind of regime would have ruled the world if the Soviet Union had become the only power controlling nuclear and cosmic weapons. Would the United States have remained a state committed to democracy if it had been given the same kind of power to dominate the globe all by itself, or would such power had exhilarated its worse characteristics still found in the 1940s to 1960s (its colonialist heritage, its racialism, and its taste for militarism)? Like the "balance of terror", i.e. both camps possessing the same kind of nuclear arsenals having prevented WIII, potential weapons like Sputnik, Soyuz, or Apollo, kept the two super-powers in check for a long time.

From von Braun's concentratin camp's assembly line: A Former Prisonner's of point of view.

In 2017, a group of students from The American University of Paris (the parent organization of this N&C – Nature & Cultures magazine) was on a field trip visiting the lengthy network of tunnels of the Dora concentration camp where unfinished V1 missiles and other equipment were still rusting on the assembly lines. André [1], a survivor, was guiding the students through this antechamber of hell. After spending six months in the nearby concentration camp at Buchenwald, André, who had been arrested as a teenager in Paris for his participation in the Resistance, was assigned to Dora’s underground factory. There, for a few years, he was never to see the light of day. His main job was to pick up the bodies of the slave workers who dropped dead from exhaustion and starvation at the assembly lines and carry them on his back to an elevator which took them above ground to the crematory. In the Spring of 1945, the US armed forces penetrated this part of Germany (the region around the former capital Weimar) and liberated Buchenwald and Dora. André was among the first prisoners encountered by American soldiers down in the tunnels. They were looking for the scientists managing the facilities. André knew exactly where they would be hiding and lead the Americans straight to their hiding place. He was proud to have been the one literally arresting them with the armed GIs behind him. Twenty four years later, he was watching the Apollo 11 moon mission on his television, and, when a camera showed the NASA men applauding the first men on the moon in the mission control ,nd center in Huston, lo and behold, a close-up revealed the exact group of Nazi scientists who he had arrested in the tunnels of Dora, just slightly aged. When asked by the AUP students whether he felt bitter about how these war criminals escaped justice and profited from a brilliant career in the conquest of space, he shrugged his shoulders. Didn’t this experience ruin for him the whole idea of humanity benefiting from space technology? Not really, he quietly explained, although with a slightly ironic smile. Why letting all this science go to waste? As long as no one was made to suffer like he and his companions of misfortune had to endure, there was nothing wrong with scientific progress that could benefit humanity.

The Dammage Cancelling Outer Space Exploration Would Do to the Legacy of Minorities

Left to right : Creola Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) whose calculations of orbital mechanics were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. Aerospace engineer and mathematician Mary Jackson (1921-2005) not only contributed to space flights but also influenced the hiring and promotion of women in NASA's science, engineering, and mathematics careers. "Human computer" Dorothy Vaughan (1910-2008) seen in the photo with Lessie Hunter, Vivian Adair (sitting) Margaret Ridenhour and Charlotte Craidon (standing) developed and taught to her women colleagues programming languages and other concepts to prepare them for the transition to electronic machines.

Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly explores the biographies of three African-American women who worked as computers (see photos above) to solve problems for engineers and others at NASA. For the first years of their careers, the workplace was segregated and women were kept in the background as human computers.

Hidden Figures, the film loosely adapted from Margot Lee Shetterly's book, received critical acclaim, with praise for the performances (particularly Henson, Spencer and Monáe), the writing, direction, cinematography, emotional tone, and historical accuracy, although some argued it featured a white savior narrative.

Canceling outer Space Research (which in practice would mean reducing its budgets to zero ) because of the colonialist ideology influencing white taxpayers in the 1950s or 1960s, would be as absurd, wasteful, and harmful as if India, African nations or Southeast Asian countries stopped maintaining their roads, bridges and hospitals built in the first half of the 20th century to serve the selfish interests of European colonizers. The film “Hidden Figures” illustrated the racial discrimination practiced by NASA in its early years. African American mathematicians, lab and office employees (who, among other humiliations, had to walk hundreds of yards to use a bathroom reserved for “colored” people) were completely ignored by the media and the American and international public for their contribution to the accomplishments of NASA. Should these accomplishments be erased from the history books, these scores of African American pioneers of the space age would be just as forgotten as intended by those who implemented the racist discrimination. Cancel the space industry and you have cancelled the memory of these African Americans twice without resolving any of the problems left by the heritage of colonialism and racism.

Outer Space Exploration as a Tested Opportunity for Peaceful International Cooperation.

The outer space industry, although arguably criticized for its military origins, also stands as a powerful testament to the potential for global cooperation, technological innovation, and economic growth. While rooted in military activities, space technology has evolved into a force for peace and progress, fostering international collaboration and driving advancements that benefit humanity at large.

Veteran astronaut Donald K. "Deke" Slayton and veteran cosmonaut Alexey A. Leonov embrace in the Soyuz Orbital Module during the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project. Anyone ever speaking to space travelers about their impressions from their cosmic flights cannot but notice how this has almost systematically been a life-changing experience taking their worldview to a new dimension. This common experience creates exceptionally strong bonds between people who are even supposed to be potentuial ennemies.
Source: NASA

One of the remarkable aspects of the outer space industry is its ability to turn historical adversaries into collaborative partners. In the realm of space exploration, the need for scientific and technological advancement is so overwhelmingly expensive that traditional enemies are compelled at times to set aside their differences and cooperate for the greater good. A prime example of this is the groundbreaking collaboration initiated by France in 1961, when the French CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales – National Center for Space Studies) joined forces with the Soviet IKI (Inter-Kosmicheskiy Institut). This historic East-West partnership laid the foundation for broader cooperation, ultimately leading to the creation of the European Space Agency (ESA). The success of projects like the Ariane rocket series, developed through European collaboration, exemplifies the positive outcomes that can emerge when nations unite for the shared goal of space exploration.

The collaboration between former Cold War rivals did not end there. The United States and the Soviet Union, once engaged in a space race driven by geopolitical tensions, later joined forces on multiple occasions. The Apollo-Soyuz rendezvous in space, a symbol of détente during the 1970s, marked the first international human spaceflight mission. This collaboration set the stage for future joint endeavors, including the International Space Station (ISS), where scientists and astronauts from different nations work together to conduct experiments and advance scientific knowledge. Such cooperative ventures transcend political differences, emphasizing the unifying potential of the outer space industry.

A Profitable Financial Investment fro the Near Future ... and Already for the Present.

Critics often question the investment in the outer space industry, viewing the hundreds of thousands of jobs created as mere job-boosting tactics or politically motivated projects (pork barrel such as space centers, laboratories or factories). However, these jobs are better understood as a strategic investment in the future.

The aero-space industry not only drives economic growth but also serves as a catalyst for peaceful scientific and technological advances. The NASA Spinoff program, as exemplified on its official website (https://spinoff.nasa.gov), showcases numerous examples of innovations with real-world applications, ranging from medical breakthroughs to environmental solutions. These spinoff technologies not only enhance our daily lives but also contribute to the growth of various industries, providing a return on the initial investment in space exploration.
In conclusion, the outer space industry has transcended its military origins to become a force for global collaboration, technological progress, and economic growth. By fostering cooperation among nations with a history of conflict, creating jobs, and driving innovations that benefit society, the industry exemplifies the potential for peaceful and profitable endeavors beyond Earth's atmosphere. Embracing and supporting the outer space industry is not merely an investment in exploration; it is an investment in the shared progress and well-being of humanity.

The Urge to "Explore Strange New Worlds; to seek out new life (...) and Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before": A Sprititual Adventure?

Anyone ever speaking to an astronaut, a cosmonaut, a spacionaut [3], or a tachyonaut [4] about their impressions from their cosmic flights cannot but notice how this has almost systematically been a life-changing experience taking their worldview to a new dimension. In 2021, when actor William Shatner, returned from his brief excursion into outer space as a guest tourist aboard the New Shepard spacecraft (developed by Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin), he expressed his feeling of awe to Jeff Bezos who came to greet him as he exited the capsule, : “Everybody in the world needs to do this… Everybody in the world needs to do this.” Bursting into tears, he expressed what was his “most profound experience. I hope I never recover from this” [see the video here] This man who has become an icon of science fiction by playing a character that millions of fans identified worldwide as a symbol of “boldly going where no man has gone before”, the Christopher Columbus or Captain Cook of the future exploring space for the common good of humanity, conveyed feeling of quasi mystical terror. “My trip to space was supposed to be a celebration; instead, it felt like a funeral” he recalled a year later. [5] The experience was indeed mystical. It was mystical in a negative way: “Everybody else was shaking bottles of champagne, and it was quite a sense of accomplishment. And I didn’t feel that way at all. I was not celebrating. I was, I don’t know, shaking my fists at the gods.” [6] But being made humble in front of the vastness and darkness of the cosmos (that he compared to an image of death) also made the experience a very positive one as he expressed immediately upon his return to Earth and later in an interview: “I discovered that the beauty isn’t out there, it’s down here, with all of us. Leaving that behind made my connection to our tiny planet even more profound.” [7] This should invite us to be more careful when we think of our worldview of Earth as the center of our universe. It is not necessarily arrogant anthropocentrism.

Whether they were believers in God, like many American astronauts, or atheists like the Soviet astronauts (at least officially), like Yuri Gagarin who had to declare he "did not see God" in space, the humbling experience but also the excitement of seeing the earth from the sky, where you cannot see any national borders and where the planet seems very small but very warm, blue, fragile, and precious (especially to those who have been to the moon) has been an experience extremely alien to anything comparable with colonialist desire or an inclination towards male domination. Such tendencies seem ridiculous after the new worldview that space travelers acquire. It transcends many of the cultural representations that our artists and philosophers on earth have been trying to convey when expressing the idea that there must be something more than that our earthly routines, or great and little joys, or tragedies. Believers in a God have often returned with a reinforced faith. Alexey Leonov, an accomplished painter, whose art became even more inspired by his cosmic experience (he painted his own representations of outer space), explained how the atheism that Soviet cosmonauts like Gagarin were made to profess publicly was only an official façade. In an interview shortly before his death, Leonov testified to the following: "I knew Yuri well and I can say that he was never a rabid atheist. After all, he was baptized (by the way, like me), but with the comprehensive control on the part of the party, it was almost impossible to openly believe. And yet, many of us had enough mind and soul to feel that there was something “out there.” I love the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is based on the book by Arthur C. Clarke, by the way, a very religious man. It clearly expresses our worldview at that time. [8]
How Leonov interpreted Arthur C. Clarke, a self-described "aggressive agnostic" [9], as “a very religious man”, is understandable, because indeed the feeling of awe left by the cosmic experience whether in real space travel or through its artistic representation.

Cosmonaut Leonov's artwork was represented on Soviet postage stamps.

The French spacionaut Patrick Baudry, also a fan of Arthur C. Clarke and whose system of beliefs is difficult to identify, has become a visionary as witnessed by his numerous books. What exactly is this humanist philosophical vision, he seems to have difficulty himself in defining it… but that is maybe the whole point of trying to convey an experience very similar to Shatner’s: “When you see the Earth this way, you see that it is completely isolated against a pitch-black background, and you see no trace of humans on or around the planet. You realize that you are nothing. It is something which is very strong and which changes you forever”. [10] This undefinable “something very strong” is what philosophers and religious thinkers have been seeking without flying hundreds of miles above the surface of the planet.
The spiritual experience of Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, who took communion on the Moon in the Lunar Expedition Model has been such a spiritual roller-coaster ride that it could take several psychologists and philosophers conducting research to try to make sense of it .

Scientist Carl Sagan (1934-1996) whose PBS series, "Cosmos," which was Emmy and Peabody award-winning, and was watched by 500 million people. His work for television and in 60 countries and his twenty books inspired an entire generation.

Someone who understood very well the experience of the extremely alien nature of the extraterrestrial environment was the great scientist and popularizer of scientific history, Carl Sagan. It is why the writings of this convinced atheist (whether his thoughts about science in his nonfiction or his novel Contact) leave you with the same kind of impression as found in a deeply inspiring religious book (whatever its system of beliefs). That some men and women, having shared the experience of space flight, lose all of their cultural, national, and especially political differences when they meet, becomes absolutely obvious when participating in international conferences organized by space agencies. The friendship, the immediate sense of solidarity and feeling that they are apart from the rest of humanity, can be strongly felt by all. Participants in such conventions, even in the middle of the Cold War period witnessed the bonds between astronauts and cosmonauts that were warm and strong. This is difficult to understand by others, but our quest to understand it should be the main motive driving us further into the future of space exploration, and this quest is what could bring peace to the entire planet. This may sound as utopic, but when we look at what has already been accomplished by the space industry, we realize how a fraction of these accomlishments may have seemed as a utopia to not so long ago.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.”
― Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

NOTES

[1] The name has been changed to protect the person’s privacy.

[2] "La Folle Course A La Lune", 1999, written and directed by François de Closets & Roland Portiche. See it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf6SJq8LLDM (in French, no subtitles).

[3]The French term for a space traveler

[4] The Chinese term for a space traveler

[5] Quoted in “‘It Felt like a Funeral’: William Shatner Reflects on Voyage to Space.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 11 Oct. 2022, www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/oct/11/it-felt-like-a-funeral-william-shatner-reflects-on-voyage-to-space.

[6] Interview quoted in Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[7] “Алексей Леонов о Гагарине, Вере, Космосе и ‘Жизни На Марсе.’” Сибирская Католическая Газета, 15 Oct. 2019, sib-catholic.ru/aleksey-leonov-o-gagarine-vere-kosmose-i-zhizni-na-marse/. Translation by N&C – Nature & Cultures staff.

[8] User58. “Arthur C. Clarke - Freedom From Religion Foundation.” Freedom From Religion, ffrf.org/ftod-cr/item/14752-arthur-c-clarke.

[9] “Le Spationaute Patrick Baudry, Premier Français à Voler Dans La Navette Américaine ‘Discovery.’” France Inter, 19 July 2019, www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/passeport-pour-l-aventure/le-spationaute-patrick-baudry-premier-francais-a-voler-dans-la-navette-americaine-discovery-2112035. Translation by N&C – Nature & Cultures staff.

Nature & Cultures, the American University of Paris geographic magazine for global explorersNo. 8