Mission possible?

Thank God. Finally they are back! I was wondering about the plight of one Russian cosmonaut (Russians call an astronaut, cosmonaut for some nutty reasons) and two American astronauts, who were on a six-month mission at the International Space Station (ISS) and got into a trouble after finding a ‘mysterious hole’ in the Russian spacecraft docked to the orbiting station. Fortunately the hole, which caused an air leak on the ISS, was quickly sealed up. We thought that would be the end of the story. But something was building up. The world soon came to know about a dispute between Russians and Americans when the chief of the Russian Space Agency, Dmitry Rogozin said, “US Investigators believed the small hole had been created deliberately and was not a manufacturing defect!”

Adding to trouble, a Russian daily reported the US astronauts deliberately drilled the hole in order to sent a sick associate back home! The ISS may be the only area where Russia and the US gave each other some space to breath. The co-operation remained unchanged by the slump in ties. Washington’s sanctions against Russia over Ukraine and other disputes they had including in Yemen were neglected on this mission. Finally, it seems that this compromise zone would also be short-lived.

I was wondering about the fate of these astronauts if these disputes eventually lead to a war between the two global powers. In that case, American astronauts would demand a safe landing in the US or its territories while Russians would opt their land. Naturally, a neutral country could be suggested for landing. But is there one? Even international waters are not free from disputes. Russia and the US are the two countries that always nurture the dream of controlling our planet earth. They must be thinking that they are done with earth, while kicking off ambitious programmes in space and the universe beyond earth.

The very crazy idea of inventing weapons and technologies started after the Second World War. Both these countries were busy in showing off their mettle. When Russia successfully launched Sputnik I, it gave sleepless nights for the Americans. The passionate efforts to conquer moon was a part of this race. This unhealthy contest only led to both countries developing technologies capable of mass destruction.

Both Russians and Americans loved the Cold War, for it created huge markets for weapons across the world as fear began spreading its wings. The Cold War took a pause with the collapse of the USSR. However, the resurgent Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin reignited efforts to start the new Cold War from the point where it stopped. However, in between, the space emerged an area of co-operation. Russia and the US decided to join hands to build the first lunar space station. They were also planning joint initiatives to send humans to Mars.

At this time, the US Space Agency Nasa said they were exploring a programme called the ‘Deep Space Gateway’, a multi-stage project to push further into the solar system. Nasa’s initial plan was to send humans to Mars orbit by 2030s and subsequently to colonise the red planet. This mission was put on hold during Obama’s period. President Trump is discussing the proposal. For sure, Trump would love colonising the red planet as well. Trump is known for throwing surprises with untimely decisions and speeches. Many, including me, were shocked to hear Trump’s arrogant utterings against Saudi Arabia. How can he talk about a country, to which he sold weapons and arms worth $400 billion?

It will be great if Nasa sends a man with no emotions, who hardly understands the words of other humans, to Mars in its first mission. He/she will be successfully able to dominate aliens if there are any in Mars. As of now, there is only one American, who has rightly proved his eligibility. I hope you have identified him by now. Haven’t you? Is that mission possible?