To cislunar, and beyond!

"Most other countries do not have the "scandal de jour" which we are experiencing. They are headed full speed ahead into the future. As should we be. Accept Donald Trump as a great businessman with no political acumen."

Meanwhile, back in realville. While the nation holds it's breath (satire), to see what the next revelation is about Donald Trump, the world is moving on. Big time. How so? Last week after the Golden Gophers took car of the Purdue Boilermakers, I started to think about the Big 10's most famous engineering school. Like, what are they up to these days. So I did some real heads down research. Well, not really. I just went on their website. The stuff you can learn these days, by just visiting web sites.

One of the initiatives at Purdue, is to establish a fifty (50) year blueprint how to cultivate, through discovery and research, cislunar space. If this is a new term for you - relax. It is for most people, including me. It is the region of space between the Earth and the Moon. If you have been reading the recent tech blogs, that is where most of the action will be in the 2020's. 

I will paraphrase this from Purdue's website on what they plan to focus on with this cislunar initiative:

• Better access to cislunar space for more frequent travel there.
• Establish a strong university-government-industry team to pursue cislunar exploration.
• Identify and utilize space resources and materials.
• Lead in the area of space policy, economics and space defense.
• Initiate K-12 educational programs and courses,...for the future leaders in cislunar development.

Whoa! What just went by? Did you see that? Purdue just laid out part of the future for the next generation and those who follow. Notice what I put in bold. Lots to unpack there. Space defense is going to be HUGE in the 2020 decade and beyond. Hello, US Space Force! Space economics - the same way. Plus the opportunity to train the young ones coming up with REAL skills for the future. Not ask how they feel, and which bathroom do they want to use. This is back to reality folks - big time!

One of the most crowded neighborhoods on Earth in the next decade will not be on Earth. It will be between the Earth and Moon. And on the Moon. Think this is nuts? It gets better. If anyone has seen the new science fiction movie Ad Astra, they have seen a space elevator. Guess what? It is more science than fiction. Both Japan and the US are working on ways to make this a viable way to get into low Earth orbit. Stay tuned on this one - this story has legs. Whoever comes up with a space elevator, using the right materials to make it safe and durable, will rule the cislunar world.

Most other countries do not have the "scandal de jour" which we are experiencing. They are headed full speed ahead into the future. As should we be. Accept Donald Trump as a great businessman with no political acumen. He is doing good work, although lousy at being a politician. That is okay with his base - we wanted that. Focus on the future. It is coming fast, and we need to be prepared for it.