Donald Trump’s inaugural address has two of the most important points for me in his inaugural address, both related to the rocket and space industry and which no one has heard of before.
- “American astronauts will plant our flag on Mars.”
- “I will direct our military to begin construction of a powerful missile defense shield, Iron Dome. It will be built entirely in the United States.”
Elon Musk’s childhood dream of Mars has propelled the visionary to the pinnacle of global space exploration. He has long since earned a place in the history books next to Wernher von Braun and Korolev. It seems that he is also using his involvement in politics to realize his dream. An astronaut mission to Mars is a task so grandiose and expensive that it can only take off with presidential support. There is no doubt where Mars came from in Trump’s speech. However, Trump and Musk may not live to conquer Mars. Good thing they had time to at least start the project.
But the missile defense system is a much more responsible and controversial step. For starters, we should all be clear about what Trump announced? The Iron Dome that actually exists in Israel shoots down tactical missiles. And those are mostly homemade Arab rockets, with no sophisticated trajectories or ABM defenses.
Why does the U.S. need such a defense? No Iron Dome analogs on the border perimeter will protect – all terrorist attacks and mass murders of people over the past decades in the U.S. have come from within. There’s no way to know where to put tactical missile defense against such a scourge.
It turns out that Trump is referring to U.S. missile defense against modern intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The very missile defense of the country banned by the “Treaty on Limitation of Missile Defense Systems.” It was signed by the US and the USSR in 1972. Bush Jr. withdrew from it unilaterally in 2002.
The main reason for the ABM Treaty was the extremely high cost of such systems. The USSR and even the world’s richest USA could be left without pants if the country was fully protected from the enemy’s ICBMs. ABM technologies have changed a lot since then, but they have not become cheaper – opponents are constantly creating missiles to overcome the newest systems. As an example, we can point to the Avangard planning block created in Russia (the US and China are also testing such missiles).
This article really made me think about how complex space exploration and missile defense actually are. The idea of planting a flag on Mars is incredibly inspiring but also feels like just the beginning of a much bigger journey. At the same time, the missile defense system described sounds like a huge challenge, especially with all the political and financial obstacles involved. It’s crazy to realize how much technology and strategy go into protecting a country and pushing the limits of human exploration 🚀
It’s interesting to see how space exploration and missile defense are connected in this speech. The Mars mission sounds ambitious but might take a long time to realize, while the missile defense plans bring up complicated issues about security and international treaties.
So apparently, shooting down missiles is still as expensive and complicated as ever—who knew? 🤷♀️ And building a Mars colony? Sure, why not, let’s just add that to the to-do list between missile defense and budget crises. Fingers crossed those rocket dreams don’t get lost in bureaucracy before liftoff 🚀.
Wow, aiming to plant a flag on Mars while building a giant Iron Dome at home sounds like the ultimate multitasking plan 🚀🛡️. Not sure if I should start packing my space suit or just invest in a really good bunker 😂. And honestly, the missile defense budget probably makes more sense for Hollywood movies than reality, considering how unpredictable threats are here on Earth 🌍💥. Mars mission or missile mission, I just hope someone remembered to bring snacks for the journey! 🍿👽
Is it just me or does this whole Mars mission sound like a sci-fi movie plot that keeps getting rebooted without an actual launch date? 🚀👽 Meanwhile, building a new Iron Dome-style missile defense sounds less about protection and more like gearing up for some kind of future arms race that nobody really asked for. 💥🤔 It’s kinda crazy how these dreams of conquering space get glamorized while the real problems here on Earth—like internal security issues—are barely addressed. We’re spending trillions on defense systems that might never work perfectly while ignoring the root causes of violence at home. Feels like priorities are seriously misplaced and politics is playing games again. Who’s really benefiting from all this? 🤷♀️
It’s interesting to see how space exploration and missile defense are linked in political plans. The ambition to put a flag on Mars feels symbolic, but the missile defense topic raises real questions about feasibility and strategy given the costs and evolving threats.
Interesting take on the space and defense plans, especially how complex and costly missile defense really is. The Mars mission feels like a dream for now, but the real challenge might be here on Earth with these defense strategies 🚀