Source: Patriot Patch Co.
In a previous blog post, I introduced the concept of a space force as portrayed in popular news. Remember at the end of the post, there was a brief video in which Commander Scott Kelly was interviewed in which the introduction of the 'orbital perspective' was unveiled. What is an 'orbital perspective'?
What Commander Kelly was arriving at was the mutual respect with which space is explored by many different nations. Specially, when each nation is collectively working in the 'International Space Station' -- looking back through the window -- they collectively see 'Planet Earth' - not each geographical location from where each have travelled from. All that is visible from space is "One Planet Earth" which implies that all residents (of Planet Earth) should be working together rather than waging war between each other. Which is why a 'space force' does not necessarily make sense.
Although, ever since each nation pursued travel into space, the commercialization from that initial travel has produced a presence over the past decade which is staggering in comparison to just five decades earlier. The commercialization of space -- near commercialization -- more appropriately, each nation's presence in space had made the endeavor more about information collection rather than actual warfare. Hundreds of satellites reside in near orbit and collect/serve as information carriers to various corporations which span across the globe (i.e. the planet).
With the above in consideration regarding the tremendous growth in space, what role do physicists play in space? Or helping to create a 'space force'? As you will see shortly, in the video segment from the YouTube channel of MSNBC, Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explains why the concept of 'Space Force' is not new and misunderstood:
Nice. Space warfare is not necessarily warfare as it is more about access to information. The overall arching statement made by Professor Neil deGrasse Tyson regarding a space force in the video above is the 'fall out' from shooting satellites or other commercial space infrastructure down is going to be enormous and impact us all in some direct or indirect way.
Which is to say, that if a certain government/enemy force were to shoot down a satellite or space hardware, the 'fall out' would be dangerous to say the least. The explosion from destroying a satellite or other space hardware would fragment (break apart) into tiny pieces -- each of which -- would be traveling at a speed of 18,000 miles per hour.
To put that speed into perspective would be to cast that speed into traveling around planet Earth. The circumference of the Earth is 24,901 miles -- the total distance around Earth at the equator. Traveling at a speed of 18,000 miles per hour, a traveler would go around the entire planet Earth in 1 hour and 38 minutes. The point is that destroying a piece of equipment in space could very easily result in destruction of other satellites -- such as our own. We could potentially lose out in the process of shooting another country/nations' satellite down.
There is no need at the present time to create an independent 'space force' in the United States. Each citizen of the planet should be working together rather than finding divisions. Each country should aspire to work towards common goals -- especially when concerned with reaching out into space and beyond.
Related Blog Posts:
Thoughts: Instead of forming a "Space Force" why don't we work together to solve the world's problem?
Scientists should find similarities rather than focus on differences
What is a typical day like for a systems engineer at JPL?
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