In an extremely short-sighted step, President Barack Obama recently cancelled the U.S. space flight and exploration program.

As Charles Krauthammer recently put it, “By the end of this year, there will be no shuttle, no U.S. manned space program, no way for us to get into space.”

It seemed like a saving at the time. Obama claims we can rely on the convenient services of the Russians to boost us up there; or private industry. But there is virtually no “private space industry” because the endeavour is too expensive; too unpredictable; the focus too broad.

There was barely a whimper in the press. Virtually no outcry from the aerospace industry. Perhaps they were too much in shock.

So I feel compelled to comment.

Space exploration is not just about having a bunch of astronauts float about weightless on the taxpayers’ dime. It’s about constantly pushing the envelope of engineering, technology and imagination!

How do you think we developed mammography? GPS? Cochlear implants? Teflon? Tinfoil? Cataract detection techniques. Jaws of Life?

Design. Engineering. Technology. High-tech materials. Absurd advances in physics, algorithms, semi-conductor science. It’s largely because of space exploration, and the result is a cascade of new businesses and industries.

New jobs.

Isn’t that what we want? New industry so we can employ more people? Smarter technology so we can be more efficient in cost, energy, labour?

But at the heart of it all is another issue. Global security.

If you thought it was scary that Ronald Reagan had a Star Wars missile plan — think again. He was on our side.

Now we have a situation where the West will be earthbound or reliant on the Russians, thanks to a nominal budget cut by Obama.

Now all the sci-fi Star Wars technology and access to the International Space Station will be in the hands of the Russians. Or the Chinese. Or perhaps India.

And I’m not sure whose side they are on. Or whose they will choose in a decade.

Obama proposes mothballing the space program for the next decade until the economy “stabilizes.” But professionals in this high-tech field, where the U.S. has been the clear leader, know you can never catch up.

So I propose that the western nations, lead by Canada, unite and create a kind of reverse lend-lease program with the U.S. If the Americans aren’t going to use their low-Earth orbit facilities and tools for a decade, let us use them, finance them, keep them up and keep the innovations alive.

Canada should lead this mission because we are the closest geographic neighbours to the U.S.; our astronauts and many space sciences experts have worked closely with NASA and we speak the language.

We have a thriving aerospace industry in this country and our vast geographic land space demands significant surveillance and communications technology — and security of that satellite system — for the security of this country.

Canada also has a multilingual and multicultural basis to form a platform for the Brits, French, Germans, Spaniards, Italians, Israelis, Scandinavians and etceteras to partner in this project.

From each of these partners, a relatively nominal financial contribution would be required — combined it will keep the space program alive, balanced and the innovation flowing within the western nations and around the world.

To not do so would be as if we Earth-dwellers were Boy Scouts stationed at a wilderness Scout Hall — yet demanding that we stay out of the forest.

We may live on planet Earth, but our planet lives in outer space. Now that we have set foot in that “wilderness” — we’ve got to keep exploring and patrolling.

Believe me, the future of western civilization may truly depend upon it.

Michelle Stirling-Anosh is a Ponoka freelance columnist.