When I hear the objections raised by some to the exploration of space, I often recall the story of the great Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho. A eunuch, Cheng Ho supervised the construction of a great fleet and, in the early years of the 15th century, launched voyages which ranged across the Oceans, reaching as far away as Australia and Africa. His ships were massive, the size of a modern destroyer, and would have been easily capable of reaching as far away as the coast of North America, had they so chosen.

Yet they didn’t choose. Why? The reasons are complex but, in short, they can be summed up as such: China’s leaders thought that they had better things to do at home, they feared that such efforts might lead to foreign complications, and that they were excessively expensive. Sound familiar?

If China had gone on, the entire history of the world would have been different. Chinese colonies would probably have been planted in Australia, Africa, and perhaps even in the America’s. In the place of European ascendancy, the world may have instead seen a Chinese ascendancy.

Those who are opposed to space exploration are petty, small-minded, and unable to see the future that is right before their eyes. Travel into space is more than a mere dream, it is a key element of the further advancement of humanity. We live in a system of planets, all of which are ours- even Europa, despite what some might say.

More to the point, space is the key to the American future. Whoever owns the stars will be the master of all humanity. No other nation, no other civilization, or other race can be allowed to take his honor. Space must be American just as Virginia or Colorado is American. It is our collective destiny, our birthright.

Because, mark my words, if we do not get there then someone else will do so. The immutable laws of history dictate that, when there is a field for military and strategic advance open- someone will take it. Those who would rely on treaties and UN resolutions forbidding the militarization of space are as foolish as those who once relied upon the League of Nations to bring about the abolition of war.

Some will ridicule those who dream of ‘Space Empire’ or speak of the future colonization of the Moon and Mars. Yet these will be the realities of the future, whether we are willing to accept them or not. The control and colonization of space will not only render humanity less vulnerable to the random chances of fate (an asteroid strike, for example) but it will also forever forestall the rise of another great power upon the Earth.

Think about it for a moment. A single Star Cruiser, maneuvered into position, could drop dozens of weapons onto a target seconds after launch. Defending against such an attack, short of the use of other space vessels, would be essentially impossible. A handful of such ships could, if necessary, wipe an entire nation off the face of the Earth. In the face of such power, most rational nations would have no choice but to accept permanent American world rule.

I do not mean to suggest that this will be a rapid process. It will be an effort of decades, even centuries. But it will, in the end, be worth it. Humans will have colonies in this Solar System and probably beyond, it is merely a question of whose colonies they shall be.

It might also be worth pointing out that, if aliens do exist, there is little reason to assume that they will be, as most have postulated, more advanced than we are. There is an equally good reason to believe that they will be less advanced. Would it not be prudent then to be prepared to restrict various alien races to the surface of their home planets?

This, of course, assumes that faster-than-light travel is possible. I, quite frankly, have no idea if it is. But, to base our policy on the assumption that it is not would be supremely foolish.

It may even be that we will find alien races that will have to be destroyed, lest they pose a threat, or that we will find races of servile aliens which might prove useful to us in other ways. I don’t know if we will, and we won’t know unless we try.

I realize that the above might sound far out, so let me point out a more practical advantage: minerals. Once we establish a true human presence in space, we can begin to explore for valuable extraterrestrial resources. The discovery of large, off-world stocks of any number of minerals might prove to be invaluable to the United States, especially if other nations were restricted to the Earth. Imagine if the nation were to explore a massive gold-laced asteroid. Now, were space under American control, it seems possible that such a find could be covered up and the gold quietly released into market, thereby turning a massive profit for the nation.

Space-based, zero-gravity manufacturing is also believed to offer a number of advantages, allowing for the creation of goods with greater precision than is possible on the Earth. With sufficient planning, it seems possible that all space construction could eventually take place off-Earth, thereby allowing for the construction of ships of designs which would not be possible were it necessary to launch them from the surface of the Earth. This would also save considerable expense.

President Bush is, after three decades of delay, finally placing us back onto the right track. We must sail into the stars with aggression, determination, and vigor. By the conquest of space we will help to realize the goals of man here on Earth.