One small step for billionaires
鈥漁h! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth. And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings 鈥� wheeled and soared and swung 鈥� Put out my hand and touched the face of God.鈥� 鈥撀�High Flight, by poet John Gillespie Magee
Billionaires are flying all over outer space nowadays.
It doesn鈥檛 get any better than that.
Well, maybe it does.
But I refuse to stand in judgment of how people spend their billions.
I鈥檒l just say that this stuff about them calling themselves 鈥渁stronauts鈥� is, to me, something of a stretch.
John Glenn, who flew three orbits around the Earth in 1962, was the epitome of an astronaut.
Neil Armstrong, who took 鈥渙ne small step for man鈥� on the face of the moon, was most definitely an astronaut. Especially since he蘑菇视频 among only 12 people who have ever taken steps on the moon.
And my 1966 Uniontown High School classmate, Bob Cenker, earned the designation 鈥渁stronaut鈥� after he and his January 1986 Columbia space shuttle crew mates circumnavigated the earth 98 times over 146 hours above the earth.
Billionaires Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, who spent seconds in outer, or near outer space are among the 574 people from 41 countries who鈥檙e technically called 鈥渁stronauts.鈥�
But I鈥檇 prefer to call those two fellows high-flying performance artists.
Nothing wrong with that.
I just want to keep the ranks of true astronauts pristine.
I鈥檓 an astronaut purist.
Caution: If you came here today looking for me to support your belief that these folks鈥� billions could be better spent on more productive, or worthwhile pursuits 鈥� forget it.
I鈥檓 all for space exploration 鈥� and the modern advances that have been the result of it.
Artificial limbs, firefighting equipment, solar cells, CAT scans, and even memory foam have been part of the dozens of scientific advances that have been the result of people working in space.
Although, despite liking the concept of space exploration, I am still part of the majority of Americans who don鈥檛 really have a desire to travel through space.
In fact, while the political divide in this country is as wide as it蘑菇视频 ever been, there isn鈥檛 a divide between Democrats and Republicans in one area.
According to a Marist College poll, only 43% of Democrats and only 43% of Republicans (an even split) both say they want to go into space in their lifetimes.
Bezos and Branson, and billionaire Elon Musk are obviously having a blast with each, er, blast-off.
Musk, though, is expected to up the ante when it comes to the Billionaire蘑菇视频 Space Race.
He蘑菇视频 not yet announced his own personal flight into the outer reaches of the atmosphere.
But last year, his SpaceX Dragon spacecraft lifted four astronauts up to the International Space Station 鈥� 285 miles above the Earth.
Musk is working long-term into landing people on Mars.
Right now, though, the stage is set for yet another billionaire to join Branson, Bezos, and Musk in an effort to 鈥渟lip the surly bonds of Earth.鈥�
Come to think of it, 鈥渟urly鈥� could best describe that fellow who might benefit by joining their club.
What could be better than for Donald John Trump, former 45th president of the United States of America, to suit up and head for space?
I can almost see him now.
He, appearing in a tailor-made orange flight suit, with his thumbs pointing upward; his ear-to-ear smile radiating for all the world to see as he prepares to become the very first former (and possibly future) president to fly through space.
What a campaign ad that could make.
It蘑菇视频 always been his wish to play among the stars.
He could truly do that.
And just in time for Election Day 2024.
Trump, The Astronaut, could launch his upcoming presidential campaign in a place no man has gone before 鈥� on a spaceship.
If you don鈥檛 think that could happen, I鈥檓 guessing Mr. Trump has already put in the calls to Bezos, Branson, and Musk, trying to hitch a ride (and most likely for free).
That蘑菇视频 all just in his nature.
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 40-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.