The Problem with Space Cowboys
Space theorist Layla Martin shares her perspective on rodeo clowns in rockets
This article was originally published in The Space Review on 13 September 2021.
Why subscribe to Free Barbarella? I did not select the artwork that ran with the “The Problem with Space Cowboys” and felt that it skewed my intended perspective. While I was thinking of Bezos and the cowboy hat when I wrote it, it was not my intention to single him out. I’ve attached the original artwork that I created and submitted for publication. Also, I was delighted when SNL aired a parody of the Space Cowboys with Owen Wilson as Bezos. I was asked if the writers saw my article in The Space Review and have no way of knowing. If so, what an honor!! It’s more likely that they did not. If you haven’t seen “Billionaire Star Trek” take a look:
The ‘space race’ is a good thing. Why? Private-sector competition spurs innovation creating new jobs, substantial price cuts and progress. Yes, but who is competing? The promise of new jobs to achieve what and based upon whose vision?
Like you, I’ve been keeping up with the space cowboys and observing as their shenanigans unfold. Showcasing the space community to the world should be a good thing. Allowing space to be used as an arena to display the ‘2021 Billionaires Sky-Carnival’ featuring exclusion and competition has resulted in a global roast with a side of mass mockery. As a benched participant on the sidelines, seeing it play out in this manner is about as inspiring as the mountain of dishes after Thanksgiving dinner.
For one, even though the rich-guy antics receive media coverage, the sentiment is largely unfavorable and damaging to the space community. How so? This negative perception of space is shaping culture and instilling bias, which informs NASA’s budget and priorities. Just take a look at social media and the late-night television shows to see that space cowboys, or rodeo clowns, are a punchline, not a goal of the American people. Why? Citizens are frustrated about what’s going on in space and have good reason to be.
In the California Gold Rush, anyone with grit and determination could pack up their wagon with the hopes to find gold. That possibility was open to everyone. Getting your hands dirty and working hard to achieve success is part of the American dream. It’s an idea that we were raised on and exported around the world. We want to believe that the American dream of success through hard work and perseverance is still possible today.
Space cowboys are using the stars as if it were the last frontier of the American West. Regular folks have been forced to watch but unable to participate. How come? For one, we lack a $55 million dollar slush fund for a joy ride up to the ISS. Does a settler’s ticket to Mars include a fridge stocked with groceries and someone to feed the dog and help with homework—for my family here on Earth?
This macho space invasion is seriously lacking a couple things: a critical assessment and consideration of implications. As in, what are some of the costs here? Not the price but the cost. Why isn’t there more talk about the security concerns that accompany space development? Without a modern global space code in place, should ad hoc private sector space expansion continue? Is it likely that the very issues space cowboys are hoping to escape [here on Earth] will be replicated rather than avoided? The same mindset that made a mess of Earth is being applied to space. Does this mean that those left will be forced to clean up two catastrophes, instead of just one?
President Lyndon B. Johnson “LBJ” a Texan, is one of the visionaries to establish a peace treaty for space in 1967. One core principle of the OST is that space exploration should be for the benefit of all. But, is that what’s happening now? Or, have the internationalist ideals of the OST been overshadowed by progress, no matter the cost? With competing agendas and the projection of Earth’s hard-powered priorities to the stars, who exactly will prosper? While the barriers to participation are numerous, one is very clear: The only private-sector contenders in the ‘space race’ today are Billionaires with a B. If there were truly equal access to space, as it were in the American West, legitimate cowboys would blow these contenders out of the ring faster than a bucking bronc at the Stockyards on a Friday night rodeo.
The American public is reassured that space is an arena fostering unity and cooperation. Why is that not what we are seeing? You all are familiar with the Overview Effect. We are being sold the idea of space, in that feel-good It’s a Small World kind of way but are witnessing a handful of rich guys jostling for position like blood-thirsty contenders pre-IPO. Is the Overview Effect more powerful in theory, or being exploited as a marketing tool? One thing is for sure: it’s not a sentiment that is being put into practice today.
While recognizing the innovation provided by private-sector competition and the necessity of maintaining military power, a counterbalance to space as a zero-sum arena for single-goal human achievements is necessary. The space community is both capable of and would benefit from a counterbalance. If there were another perspective about how we interact with space, what would that be? If we aren’t aware of that voice, what’s it buried under and how do we help it to be heard?
I am not alone in the aim to save our planet, not escape from it. I suspect that a different approach to space would emphasize a couple of things: the importance of responsible stewardship of space, utilizing space for the primary purposes of expanding our scientific knowledge, studying and addressing climate and enhancing resources here on Earth. The commitment to protecting our planet and its inhabitants should take precedence over a handful of grown-men playing dress-up and fantasizing about colonizing virgin planets.
Make-believe cowboys in the stars vying for primacy doesn’t do us all any good. You can keep your low wage, no benefits, independent contractor jobs. We want in on the dream. Not to help you build yours but rather to create one of our own. Stop using space, a global commons, as if it were your personal backyard rodeo. No one elected you all Cowboys-in-Chief. If we did have a vote, we wouldn’t pick you.
Last, putting on a cowboy hat doesn’t make you a cowboy. Being a true cowboy is earned. Real cowboys have callused hands from roping, riding, and managing rough terrain. Cowboys are held in high regard because of their high character and grit. They are thought to be honest, fair and have integrity. All the money in the world can’t buy those qualities, no matter how many hats you put on.
Layla Martin is a Space Theorist and Featured Expert at the intersection of Space, Gender and Climate. Martin will lead panel discussions on the current state of space culture at the Space Education & Strategic Applications (SESA) Conference 23-24 September 2021. Find her @freebarbarella