The latest selections from the SPACE.com mailbag…

Gentry Lee's column "Masters of the Earth" contemplated Earth from the perspective of an "Intergalactic Foundation." A reader offers this response.

To the Editor:

Finally, I sincerely hope there is a dissenting opinion regarding ants as the next dominant species on Earth. The author admired them because: "Each individual ant is capable of independent action, but its genes are programmed so that it always behaves as if its own needs and desires are less important than the welfare of the overall colony." In other words, the perfect slaves. If ants are like the "primitive precursors of the superorganisms that dominate the life forms in the galaxy" then the galaxy is ruled by the Borg.

Kelly Parks
KLP Consulting, San Diego, California

Alonzo Fyfe's opinion piece "Space Property Rights Risk Backlash" reopened the contentious debate over space property rights.

To the Editor:

The idea that some company would land on the moon or Mars and claim that it is theirs is obscene. We are all now part of a global community and live on a planet where the common person had a chance to claim a portion of the land for raising a family and crops, but it is very different than a company with great resources going into space and claiming that which they land on is theirs. I agree with the United Nations ... We go into space together or not at all!

Sandie Mezo
Seattle, Washington
The writer works for Puget Consumer Cooperative Natural Markets, the largest natural-foods cooperative in the United States.
 
 

To the Editor:

Joseph Schumpeter believed that socialism would eventually win over capitalism, for among other reasons, because capitalists would not defend the capitalist system. Alonzo Fyfe has taken the step of conceding defeat in space property rights before any private claim has even been made. Yes, a system of private-property rights in space is needed, greatly needed. After Neil Armstrong's first step onto the moon, a private-property claim system is the next most important step in humanity's expansion into space. Everything that NASA has done for the last 40 years is useless without private-property rights as the basis of human expansion into space. Yet we have been avoiding that next step for 30 years, deluding ourselves into believing that NASA -- America's State Airline for Space -- could open the space frontier for us. We have wasted the 30-year advantage that Apollo gave us.

To claim even a small concession on the moon or any other lifeless body in space would be a great legal precedent, and would be the most difficult step that any private citizen could make in space. It would also be one of the greatest and most long-lasting achievements in the human expansion into space. It would be the very first step to opening the universe. To be sure, precautions must be taken -- I propose that any planet with life should be declared off-limits to humanity for even the most minor intrusion would alter the future of that environment. But, it should be remembered that the rest of space is not green. Earth is green, not space, it is Earth that we should be preserving not space.

Mark Goll
Texas Spacelines, Inc.
markgoll@wt.net
http://web.wt.net/~markgoll

Andrew Bridges' article "NASA Shuffles Schedule of Three Deep-Space Missions" brings this reader response.

To the Editor:

Has anyone at NASA, Congress or anywhere ever rationalized "why" they would/could/need to delay the Europa Orbiter when Europa proposes to be the first real opportunity to discover some form of life outside of Earth? I am amazed that this could even be a consideration! Yes, if the new booster or probe was not ready, but I cannot fathom any decision that would delay any mission back to Europa, when it already takes three years to get there.

This is proof that no one at the government level has the ability to see the forest for the trees...or ever really wants to. Budget aside, this is the message that is continually broadcast to the taxpayer...this "doom and gloom" instead of the "can-do" attitude.

The cost of this mission is peanuts compared to other projects, and I am sure that logic could prevail by saying, "hey, the space station is already delayed due to our friends in Russia, how about 'loaning' the balance to JPL to get this project going...now, instead of six years from now." Anyone think that by finding life..., in any form, on another world could once again build support or justification in the ISS? You bet.

Let's not wait six years for launch and another three for arrival and another two for any discovery...let's see, that makes 11 years from now...hmmm. What politician or high-level official will be in office by then? None.

Ken Douglas
Plano, Texas

And finally, for now, a word on the popular subject of searching for alien intelligence.

To the Editor:

I think that we should certainly continue making the effort to search for alien intelligence, as part of any scientific-research effort. It does not hurt to listen. I do not know if there is intelligent life "out there," but research can accomplish a lot more than debate. I have no doubt that there are probably many different life forms out there, just as there is right here on Earth, and we will certainly find those as we explore, as I hope we eventually will, other planets.

Dan Berendt, Connecticut
The writer is a senior electronic system engineer.

SPACE.com welcomes Letters to the Editor. Letters intended for publication should be under 250 words, and may be edited for style and clarity.