The space launch market, estimated at billions of dollars a year, beckons to countries like China, India and Brazil, in addition to the older players in the field of commercial space launches.
Tal Inbar, Vice President of the Israel Space Association
In the photo: the late Ilan Ramon preparing for the flight
Direct link to this page: https://www.hayadan.org.il/inbar060903.html
Lior Kodner's article appeared in the Haaretz supplement last Thursday "Star Wars 2". Tal Inbar, vice president of the Israel Space Association sent a response letter to the system. Inbar also sent a copy of the letter to the Hedan website and it is published herewith, at least a week before its expected publication in "Haaretz".
In response to the article "Star Wars 2" by Lior Kodner
(Supplement "Haaretz" - 5.9.2003)
First, some comments and corrections:
1. The name of the commander of the "Apollo 17" space mission is Eugene Cernan, not Cernan, as appears in the article.
2. Russian cosmonauts never landed on the moon, as the article implies.
3. US President George Bush has by no means declared his intention to order NASA to land a man on Mars before the end of the decade. On the contrary - Bush consistently avoided addressing this issue directly. It was his father, who in his vision referred to the US space program, in which he called for a further destination, beyond the International Space Station.
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The comprehensive article dealing with the renewed space race, and the entry of new countries into the arena of space powers, mainly illuminates the political aspect of space business, which is very central to certain aspects of the historic space race between the USA and the USSR, and between the nascent space powers and the USA. However, two other aspects, equally important, were not addressed in the article - the commercial and economic aspect and the scientific and research aspect.
It is similar that while the political aspect is seen as central in the eyes of the outside observer, the economic aspect occupies a growing share of the considerations in the replica investments required to enter the international "space club". The space launch market, estimated at billions of dollars a year, beckons to countries like China, India and Brazil, in addition to the older players in the field of commercial space launches.
Even the eighth country in the world to acquire the ability to launch satellites into space - Israel - is trying to gain a foothold in the commercial market of space launches on the one hand, providing space services and building space platforms (satellites of various types) on the other. It is assessed that the country's captains should deepen the investments in the Israeli space programs - both military and civilian - in order to promote the advanced industry, deepen public awareness of the space field and enjoy a more significant share of the profitable space market in the world.
Another space race is actually taking place these days - the race to launch the first people into space using self-made reusable launch vehicles - without the help of giant companies or government investments. This fascinating international venture - X-Prize as it is called - attracted more than twenty teams from different countries (including an Israeli team!) competing for a cash prize of 10 million dollars, and for entry into an emerging industry with considerable economic potential - the space tourism market.
Added to the political and economic side, and to the side of incredible progress in scientific research, space exploration adds to advancing humanity in many other fields, derived from space technologies. Progress in the field of medicine, industry, food production, environmental conservation, computers, communication and more - is achieved by continuing investments in space exploration.
The whole of humanity comes out of space research. For the distant future - the survival of the entire human race depends on the field of space.
In the immediate, near and medium term - improvement in the quality of life of all the inhabitants of the planet relies to a large extent on space exploration. However, it is up to the captains of the space program in all countries of the world to put the emphasis on space programs that have as much benefit as possible from the scientific/economic aspect, and not necessarily the political one.
Impressive successes in the field of space exploration will in turn also bring political prestige, which serves as the fuel that drives space exploration from its inception. Israel, as a country that aspires to be at the forefront of knowledge and progress, must invest a lot of effort in order not to be left behind in the space race of the twenty-first century.
The article was published in "Haaretz"
Tal Inbar, Vice President The Israeli Space Association
Yidan Israel in space
They knew about space operations outside the USA
https://www.hayadan.org.il/BuildaGate4/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~~~626606222~~~190&SiteName=hayadan
