Next space tech will cost consumers

The big question facing Congress is this: Can we afford space exploration? And the bigger question they are shying away from is: Can we afford not to expand publicly funded space exploration?

Part of the question comes down to ill-informed members of Congress who have not educated themselves on the past benefits — benefits for all walks of life — that have been generated by past space exploration. Like that computer, your cell phone, weather forecasting, CAT scans, 50% of modern medicines, and, never least, the very industrial manufacturing processes which are 100% dependent on inventions made in developing past space exploration – simply put, there is nothing in any part of your life – from your car, to the heating system in your house, to every second you watch on TV that have not been generated because of inventions – innovation – brought about by past space exploration.

Okay, got it? Now stop and ask yourself if we should fund further space exploration? The answer is, everything you thought as being set in stone, every part of your day to day life, will change once again. How much change? Just as the horse and buggy changed to the car, the dial-up phone changed to that cell phone in your pocket, the coming change is greater, more potent. That’s science and innovation, not political ignorance.

Now, there is a problem. The current Administration is cutting basic science and NASA funding. They prefer to allow the commercial industries to spend money and reap the rewards, not for the people, but for the captains of industry and Wall Street. Will that mean the change will not come? No, it’ll come, but the benefits will come in a commercial sense only. 60% of the cost of that cell phone in your pocket came from taxpayer investment, causing no commercial amortization. The next spin-off from space technology will be fully commercial and cost accordingly.

On top of which, this Administration is shifting funds from NASA’s budget to the Space Force… $1,000,000,000,000 (yes, one trillion) in 2026. And we all know that trickle-down technology from the military takes a decade longer to reach public benefit. Think I’m kidding? The carbon fiber technology for the B-2 bomber of the mid-80s has not yet been realized in commercial aircraft – which would allow 50% greater range per fuel load per flight, cutting your plane ticket cost in half.

Meanwhile, China is out-spending us on space exploration and development, consistently increasing their budget 10% a year and, yes, they might well arrive back on the moon first and reap known and unknown benefits before us. Some possible good news? NASA’s plans for a return to Moon, commercial or national, is a top priority for the Acting Administrator… “We can’t waste a day,” Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said. Let’s see if Congress is listening.

Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, New York, now lives in Gila, New Mexico.