Mixed Emotions

This morning Space X launched its Dragon craft into space, it will now head for and dock with the International Space Station. Becoming the first private craft to do so. As it happened, what seemed like a huge wave of positivity came over the internet. Which is good, you want people to be positive about space, you want them to be excited, you want them to want to move beyond Earth. But for me, the reaction was a little bit more mixed.

This is a private company we're talking about. In fact most of the group's heading for space now are private companies. They keep talking about making space available to the masses, but the fact is, they're private companies. They're businesses, their goal is to make money. And you can go to space, so long as you pay them to take you there.

Call me crazy all you'd like, but I don't think space should be for sale. I think the ability to leave Earth should be available to everyone, and they shouldn't have to pay a dime to do it. Like I said, call me crazy all you'd like.

The fact is, while the move towards space may be happening, its happening in sort of a screwed up way. The official space agencies of the world are jokes, held back by governments who don't know what they're doing and who refuse to pay for them. Private companies are taking the lead, playing the hope for tomorrow card as they do it. It just feels like the bullshit that has taken this world down to what it is, is just extending out beyond this planet. Greed, politics, these are things that should die on Earth.

Space is a lot bigger than those sorts of superficial things. Space is, it's knowledge, it's understanding, it's hope, and it's freedom. No countries or companies have claim out there, no human being has dominion over anything out there. When you're in space, you are totally, completely, and absolutely free. And that's beautiful. And that shouldn't have to come with a price tag or a flag.

I know I sound like a complete idiot, who isn't "living in reality". But so what. What I would like, and that will never happen, is for all of these companies to design and prove their crafts, and than release the schematics to the public so anyone could build them. I'd like the companies who plan on charging people for low orbit flights to becomes nonprofits and do it for free. I'd like the companies and politicians to actually give a damn about someone other than themselves. The exploration of space is one of the single most important things in the history of the human race. It's time to start acting like it.

Oh and why are we still using rockets? Let's move on.