New Technology, Ancient Practices

Another major step in the advancement in human space flight has hit another snag. Seconds after liftoff, a rocket engine failed, and Cosmos 1 never reached orbit.

Cosmos 1 is an independently-funded project which is testing new propulsion systems for space travel. Rather than using an ignitable propellant such as liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen (commonly referred to as rocket fuel), Cosmos 1 was to use a large solar sail, that would enable the craft to "ride the light", and achieve speeds greater than any conventional spacecraft. This is an amazing idea, as this is a perfect mixture of old ideas and new technology. Everyone knows that travel by sail was the most efficient means of propulsion for sea-faring crafts for hundreds of years.

A snag like this is even more damaging to privately-funded projects. If this were a government operation (i.e. NASA) then in a year or two, they would attempt the launch again. Unfortunately the Planetary Society is going to have to do major fundraisers in the next few years in order to recover their costs.

I consider research like this detrimental to the survival of our species. In under 200 years, we have poisoned or Earth to nearly a point of no-return. There is less than 50 years of oil left on this planet. You can probably guess what will happen when the oil runs out, and it won't be pretty. At best, we will revert to steam power, but most likely, we will drop countless nuclear weapons on one another for the precious few drops of oil that is left. By that time, it won't matter, since the Earth will be poisoned beyond recovery. If a habitable, nearby planet is found, it may spell the survival of our species.