Space Requires G20 Money and Many Flags

If the White House decides to return astronauts to the moon, NASA may have to look to Moscow, Paris, Tokyo or possibly New Delhi and Beijing and others of the G20 for help because of the huge multi-decadal investment expense associated with such a bold endeavor. The U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Review Committee has recommended more extensive global space cooperation to President Barack Obama, according to reports.

The United States will need more dollars, euros, rubles, rupees, yen and yuan to build an international global space effort to loft American astronauts, Russian cosmonauts, Chinese taikonauts (yǔhángyuáns), and Indian gaganauts to the lunar surface. Putting together an international space coalition will require renewed United States diplomatic and political leadership.

“Creating international partnerships is the only way America can maintain its leadership (in space),” said Joan Johnson-Freese, chairwoman of the Department of National Security Studies at the Naval War College and an expert on China’s space program. “America should be leading an international collaborative effort rather than trying to go it on its own.”