“It is like humanity just got a brand-new pair of eyeglasses for the distant universe…We are suddenly seeing that those green areas on the tops of trees are actually made of thousands of individual leaves. We suspected it, but we are now seeing it for the first time.”
-Statement by planetary astromomer Heidi Hammel in a Washington Post article, “The Webb telescope is astonishing. But the universe is even more so.”
“Of course, we will fulfill all our obligations to our partners, but the decision about withdrawing from the station after 2024 has been made.”
-Statement by Yuri Borisov regarding Russia’s participation in the International Space Station (ISS), as quoted by Reuters. Mr. Borisov was recently appointed director-general of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos. However, like his predecessor, he may have spoken without thinking through the consequences. Time magazine quoted Vladimir Solovyov, an ISS flight director, who stated, “We, of course, need to continue operating the ISS until we create a more or less tangible backlog for ROSS. We must take into account that if we stop manned flights for several years, then it will be very difficult to restore what has been achieved.” In other words, the withdrawal may not be anytime soon. Not a very good start for Mr. Borisov.
“As two scholars who study space security and China’s space program, we believe that neither China nor any other nation is likely to take over the Moon in the near future. It is not only illegal, it is also technologically daunting – the costs of such an endeavor would be extremely high, while the potential payoffs would be uncertain.”
-Statement by Svetla Ben-Itzhak, Assistant Professor of Space and International Relations, Air University and R. Lincoln Hines, Assistant Professor, West Space Seminar, Air University in the Astronomy magazine article “Why China is unlikely to claim the Moon anytime soon.” It follows an earlier statement by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, who said, “We must be very concerned that China is landing on the Moon and saying: ‘It’s ours now and you stay out.‘”
“It would be nice to have a bit more free time on my hands, as opposed to just working day and night from when I wake up till when I go to sleep seven days a week. It’s pretty intense.”
-Statement by Elon Musk from last year, as quoted in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal story, “Twitter Suit Tests Musk as He Faces Tesla, SpaceX Hurdles.” The newspaper cites Tesla’s struggles with new car plants in Germany and Texas, which he calls “gigantic money furnaces,” as well as the billions in losses at SpaceX related to the Starship and Starlink programs. Musk can only blame himself for distracting himself and investors with the Twitter deal. He needs to decide what he wants to spend his time on. If it is not SpaceX, maybe he should sell the firm to others who believe in space. That way he has more money in his pocket for his other distracting hobbies.
“Every penny should be spent for some purpose and some task…Therefore, we do not just check expenses, we also make sure that the results that were announced in state programs are achieved.”
-Statement by Alexei Kudrin, chairman of Russia’s Accounts Chamber, to Russia’s President Putin regarding the substandard performance of Russia’s space program, as reported in a Newsweek story, “Putin’s Space Chief Clashes With Top Economist Over Russian Space Program.” The invasion of Ukraine and related sanctions have hit the Russian economy and led to the cancellation of various space missions and contracts, and the situation is not expected to get better while Russia spends its time and resources attacking neighbors rather than focusing on its future in space.
Our Awesome Universe 