Falconist program for the final frontier

One issue that separates the Falconist Party from the other political parties today is its support for a robust space program. A program that goes beyond just putting an astronaut on Mars but for a full-blown program of space colonization. Our program includes the following.

1. Establishing permament colonies on the Moon, both above the surface and underground
2. Colonizing the inner planets of our solar system such as Mars and Venus
3. Establishing self-contained space colonies in orbit around the Earth
4. Establishing mining colonies throughout the asteroid belt and colonize the moons of the gas giants.
5. Eventually establishing extra-solar colonies on planets orbiting other stars.
6. Building a network of sattelite solar power stations in low-Earth orbit to collect the sun's solar energy in space and beaming it to collectors on Earth in the form of microwaves.

The first stop in our space program has to be the moon. To begin with, if we are going to establish a colony on Mars, the moon would make an excellent labortory on how to or not how to establish a colony on Mars. Also, the moon can supply the metal we need to build advanced space stations in low-Earth orbit. A colony on the moon can also manufacture larger spacecraft that don't have to be launched from Earth. Why launch a Mars-bound rocket from the Earth that can carry 1-12 people when you can build a much larger ship that can carry 100-500 astronauts and all the supplies they need for a mission? We must go back to the moon and colonize the moon first.

The next stop will then be Mars. We will build the Orion spacecraft on the Moon which will detonate nuclear bombs for propulsion. The Orion spacecraft will reach Mars in a couple of days as opposed to months and the astronauts will spend a few months mapping the planet and locating sites to establish the first Martian colonies. The spaceyards of the Moon will turn out more Orion spacecraft and we will land thousands of colonists on Mars. The Martian colonists will refine water from the ground, build cities under geodesic domes, grow food in greenhouses, and begin terraforming the planet. Solar mirrors in Martian orbit will warm up the surface along with vents dug to the Martian core. Some asteriods may be crashed into Mars giving the planet more mass. The Martian atmosphere will be seeded with algae which will consume the carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. In about 100 years, Mars could be a replica of Earth.

Venus would be too hot to colonize right away. We would need to establish space stations around the planet and bombard the planet's atmosphere with a tough species of algae. The algae will begin converting the planet's carbon-dioxide into oxygen. Excess oxygen will be transported to Mars. In about 100-200 years, Venus could also be a replicia of Earth and open for colonization around the poles.

While the planets of Mars and Venus are being terraformed and colonized, self-contained space colonies will be built in Low-Earth orbit. The colonies will be in the shapes of tires, cylinders and spheres. These colonies will be much larger than space stations and will contain Earth-like environments. They will house between 10,000 to several million colonists. They will be engaged in the manufacture of ten-kilometer wide sattelite solar power stations that will orbit the Earth and collect the sun's solar energy 24-7 and beam it to Earthside collectors that in turn will convert the microwaves back into electricity for consumption as well as to refine hydrogen from our oceans to fuel motor-vehicles and aircraft, drastrically reducing America's dependence on foriegn oil and making America an energy exporter.

Factories on the moon and in space will manufacture spacecraft along with items that can't be manufactured on Earth without great difficulty due to ever present gravity. These factories will also turn out the components to build the "battle star" system that will defend America from ICBMs as well as ensure America command of space. The "battle stars" will be military space stations that will defend America against ICBMs with space-based missile and laser systems. The battle-stars will also direct America's arsenal of hypersonic weapons against any target worldwide.

Eventually, we will establish mining colonies in the asteroid belt as well on the moons of the gas giants such as Europa, Calisto, Io, Titan and Triton to meet America's hunger for raw materials. By colonizing the planets, moons and planetoids of the solar system, we will make America self sufficent in all raw materials.

The question people ask is how much will all this cost? To begin with, we need to rebuilt our space fleet. We propose spending $100 billion on building 50 new space shuttles and developing a new heavy lift launch vehicle. We believe we can establish a colony on the moon for $100 billion. If our economic policies are implemented, we can raise this $100 billion without breaking the bank and we will get a generous return on our investment and we can expand our colonizing efforts in space.

Some people would ask why spend money on space when that money is needed here? First of all if our economic policies are implemented, we will retire the national debt and we will save $200-400 billion in interest payments on the national debt. Second of all, a program of space colonization will result in "spin-off" industries as new technologies will have to be developed to colonize space. That means new industries and new jobs here on Earth. Third, many solutions to health care, energy, poverty, famine, may be found in colonizing space. New drugs developed in zero-G labortories may cure Cancer, AIDS, MS, ALS, and so on. Solar energy in space may break our addiction to oil. Food grown in space colonies, on the Moon may feed the world. Space colonization means more land for a growing world population. Finally, space colonization means more oppurtunity for the world's poor to better their lives by becoming colonists.

If America controls space, then America will control the Earth. The nations of Earth will be overwhelmed by America's wealth and power as a result of space colonization and the ability to launch ICBMs and hypersonic weapons against anyone in the world with impunity will force nations to aquiesce to annexation by the USA. If America colonizes and rules the Moon, Mars and Venus, then it would make sense for America to rule the whole Earth.

With all of humanity and the solar system united by the USA, America can then focus on developing the means to establish extra-solar colonies on planets that orbit other stars such as Alpha Centauri, Tau Ceti, Epsilon Indi, Epsilon Edriani, Barnard's Star, Vega, Proxima Centauri, 87 Opunchi. We will no longer have to worry about overpopulation nor sucking Earth's resources dry.

This is a plan that will take centuries to unfold. However, we believe we should start today in this conquest of the final frontier. Opening the door to the final frontier may be the lasting legacy of a Falconist administration.