A New Era for Deep Space Exploration & Development
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A New Era A New Vision
Michael Laine Transcript: "Hi, I'm Michael. We've done a series of videos on policy stuff and I know that they're not super interesting for everybody. But this stuff that we're doing is important. Lots of times before, there's a lot of parts about going to the moon. We've referenced Hardware, Business, Outreach, and Framework several times and again. We're still really focusing on the Framework side like the role of government and the kind of programs are coming out. Just two weeks ago, The White House and the National Space Council came up with this new document. I really can't describe how excited I am about this document! I wish this document had come out years ago. But this new national space policy which came out three days after the anniversary of going to the moon. I don't think that's a coincidence. I wish that this document had come out a couple of years ago because I really do think that this new policy sets the stage for you to know in air quotes the future. The kinds of things that we're trying to do. I know that this feels like it's a departure from our Space Elevator content and the work that we're doing on the Grand Architecture. But I feel like this document is a significant step in the right direction. This lays the foundation for the rest of the work that we're doing. In this document, it talks about a lot of things. We will go into it further as we get deeper into this document but these are the things that are coming up. The area that we're focusing on today it really just pages 4, 5, and 6 of a 23-page document so everything that we've done so far has really been preamble. This is really the meat of what we're trying to get into. What is this thing? This is very clearly an American-centric space policy document as you've seen in our prior videos, as you'll see in future videos. This really does have an American perspective. But I want to point out that we're talking about kind of American values. That's one of the first things that comes off. The second sentence in this section is really talking about Democracy, Human rights, Constitutional governance, The rule of law, and Free markets. Those are the values that this document is trying to take forward into space as we developed and commercialized. Under an American strategy, we're going to take these values with us. The other point to this, the very first sentence in this section is spanning multiple administrations and congresses. We're at an interesting point in time the American election is less than 100 days away and the idea that this document just was created with such a pivotal election point coming up really in a few weeks. Really begs the question is does this document survive the next transition. Do we stick with the Trump era or do we move to something different? I told my guys; I’m wearing my Marine Corps t-shirt today on purpose despite my COVID compatible couture. I don't look at things from that ledge from being a former US Marine. But I also look at from the perspective of International Space University and being a globalist. I have the one hat of my history being a jarhead and being pretty patriotic. On the other hand, as I looked at the world with clearer eyes with a larger vision the globalist in me kind of took over. When I look at this policy, I am excited both from the American perspective and from the globalist perspective. I really want that to be clear. As we look at this very Amero-centric perspective, this policy is driving to expand American interests and American values. What I really hope to convey is that while this is an American document I believe it has good implications for the rest of the world. I wouldn't be doing this video. We wouldn't be talking about if I didn't think it had real weight and value as we move forward into the future. As a tool for shaping international environments, American national policy is going to focus on routine operations to the moon. If that doesn't excite you, I don't know why you're watching this video in the first place. That really is exciting for me. Routine operations to the moon. I'll never get used to that. It’ll never get old to me. They talk about it being more than just a physical destination. I think that's true. It's a symbolic destination as much as anything else. I was once in a meeting where somebody was asking us What role the moon plays? I sat with this woman afterward for a while and talked with her. She said something very profound to me is that The moon is really the one thing that all humanity ever has had in common. We can't look at the sun. The sun doesn't have the same psychological connections to us. But the moon, every human who has ever lived has had a personal relationship with the moon. The moon is very symbolically powerful than just a physical destination. It helps us answer scientific questions. It helps us understand new capabilities, technologies, and eventually building an adaptable space infrastructure with our international partners. That's what the moon means in this document. Two main things that we're going to do. We're going to develop technologies and capabilities and operate on another planetary surface. That's what this document's all about. If you don't read all 23 pages or if you just decide you're going to read one sentence, this is the sentence to read. We're going to do these two things. We're going to get better at technology and capabilities. We're going to go to another planet. It starts with the moon. That's it. The end. You'll need to read the rest of the 23 pages. Moving on what if a quote malign competitor does it. Whenever you read a document like this, you don't have to use misleading language. In the document like this, what malign competitor means very bluntly China and to a lesser degree Russia? I’m actually surprised they didn't put that direct language in here because that's in lots of other documents. But that's really what they're talking about. If we don't get there first and somebody else does, then they get all the benefits. This is saying we're going to go and take all of our friends with us. I like this a lot last line about the abiding presence of the United States. I know the last four years have been really bumpy for our international partners. There have been fewer security people who have not really known where we stood on somethings. I like this line of bad and abiding presence and I feel like that alludes to the U.S Space Force in some significant ways. So, you can read into that what you like. But this set of sentences really about there's some defense elements to this paragraph." |