We train our own people, we plan our own experiments, we build our own satellites and sometimes we launch them too - though mostly into polar orbits, I think. What we don't do is maintain our own manned launch systems and facilities.
Which puts us outside of the serious space club of the US, Russia and China (and probably SpaceX soon) on one level.
It's not my preferred situation, but I have also never run for office or tried to position my career track to include orbit, so, yeah. If it comes up in a political campaign it might nudge my vote around, but I don't expect that to happen.
Which puts us outside of the serious space club of the US, Russia and China (and probably SpaceX soon) on one level.
It's not my preferred situation, but I have also never run for office or tried to position my career track to include orbit, so, yeah. If it comes up in a political campaign it might nudge my vote around, but I don't expect that to happen.
-Now available with copious trivia!