The first steps planted onto the dusty surface of a rumored cheese tasting surface, was the entire beginning of man’s love for the moon. From there it has broadened to a love for the planets. Calling chants of “My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas.” With the first letter of each word standing for a planet, with clever chants it helped children and adults remember the order of the planets. Unfortunately, Pluto was deemed not a planet. Leaving our children confused. “My very educated mother just served us nine…” Nine what? The confusion of outer space was been unleashed at an unforeseeable and regrettable force with each president. President Obama is no different. By ending policies, breaking treaties and finding no compromise, he hasn’t solved any riddle. New policies are harming the future of America’s status in outer space. And has it helped solve the many riddles and mysteries of outer space? No, my fellow Earthlings, heU has not.


In a Fox News Report on January 28, 2010 it spoke of the Constellation Program, “NASA's Constellation program aimed to create a new generation of spacecraft for human spaceflight, consisting primarily of the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles, the Orion crew capsule and the Altair Lunar Lander. These spacecrafts would have been capable of performing a variety of missions, from International Space Station resupply to lunar landings.” Lunar landings to the Moon, Mars and beyond. However, the article wasn’t dedicated to the history of the Constellation Program. It was dedicated to President Obama’s cut of it. Snip, snap, goodbye. A Washington Post Article on February 11, 2010 reported on the terror this would cause to NASA. Because the President’s new strategy for keeping NASA alive in outer space is to look towards Commercial sectors to take federal astronauts to perform the unimaginable. The article states, “The new strategy, which focuses on technology development and on creating a vibrant commercial sector in which astronauts buy tickets to space in much the same way people can buy a seat on an airplane. That enthusiasm has its match in the fury and confusion of some in the aerospace industry. They fear that NASA's direction has become nebulous at best.” Our president has directed us to look up commercial space agencies. Where are they in the yellow pages? By the Commercial space hotels section? Commercial space McDonalds section? Or Psychiatric wards? Has our president considered his new strategies effect on the United Nations treaties that govern outer space? No, my fellow Earthlings, he has not.
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, formally titled the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, shows the laws, rules and guidelines of venturing into outer space. An updated treaty the Moon Treaty or formally called The Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies would stop commercializing space in it’s tracks. However, it was never signed and it’s therefore invalid. Article One of the Outer Space Treaty clearly states, “The exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development, and shall be the province of all mankind…” Will sending these commercial, money driven, paparazzi paying space outlets with our federal astronauts harm outer space? Endanger our astronauts? Without federal training, will it harm scientific development? Will buying tickets onto commercial rockets (put together in garages or perhaps large sheds) cost money to harm our budget, therefore harming our economic development. Joel Archenbach, a Washington Post Writer, reported in February that “[The] Constellation Program this year [2010] will employ 11,500 people across the country, including about 8,600 in the private sector, according to NASA. Shutting down Constellation and terminating contracts will cost $2.5 billion under the Obama budget projections.” Is that really helping America? Is it legal to let commercial space shuttles, untrained pilots, money driven bodies be paid to drive us toward the unimaginable? Has our president thought of this? No, my fellow Earthlings he has not.
The Orlando Sentinel informed us on January 27th that President Obama, “will direct NASA to concentrate on Earth-science projects — principally, researching and monitoring climate change — and on a new technology research and development program that will one day make human exploration of asteroids and the inner solar system possible.” So our President doesn’t believe that we have the capabilities to go to the moon, however, we’re unleashing our astronauts to commercial spacemen? Which calls tourism faster than space debris. Allowing commercial spacemen into outer space would open the door to tourism. If we’re buying tickets on to commercial aircrafts, we can’t decide who else buys a ticket. We loose our jurisdiction. Our NASA astronauts may sit next to Bill Gates, Peyton Manning, Ziggy Wolf or your neighbor. Tourism is commercial. And tourism is bad. The Ethics of Tourism Development Book by Mick Rosaleen and Duffy Smith brings up the whole mentality behind the commercial and tourism industry. A passage of their book states, “Is tourism all about the egoistic satisfaction of those paying for the privilege or should ethics play a part? What does it mean to say that a certain way of behaving, or a particular kind of tourism development, is wrong? Can the tourism industry 'afford' morality?”. Can we afford to drop the astronauts off on the International Space Station and then park in at the Virgin Galactic Hotel? Has our president realizes more than Michaele and Tareq Salahi are sneaking past him? Has he realized tourism also slipped past security? No, my fellow Earthings he has not.


Our President needs to realize that Commercial and Federal don’t mix. It’s an oxymoron, right along with black and white rainbows and a skydiver afraid of heights. If NASA needs to focus on what’s inside the atmosphere, then they can. However, googling commercial space agencies isn’t the solution. Partnering with other federal space agencies across the globe to unite peacefully and discovered the unimaginable together is though. We partnered along side by side to build the International Space Station. Our rivalry inspired us to go to the moon in the first place. The answer to America’s space problem lies right across the oceans. To the space programs that are trained. That are discovering the unimaginable in unimaginable ways just like we are. Has President Obama remembered another familiar riddle- two heads work better than one? No, my fellow Earthlings he has not.


Closing the Constellation Program was a downfall on space for America. But reaching towards commercial money machines was a mistake. Calling in tourism to ruin outer space and the discoveries we haven’t yet made was a mistake. Luckily, it’s not to late. In America we are Americans. In Russia we are still Americans. In Denmark we’re still Americans. The Same In Australia, Belgium, Columbia, Antarctica, Africa and some deserted island in the middle of nowhere. But when we’re in outer space we’re Earthlings. Partnering together with other Earthlings. Working along side with other Earthlings. And has our President realized this just yet?