By Lisa Savage,
Posted on Lisa’s Substack, 10 November 2026
The federal government of the U.S. published a document that should send chills down every spine. It announces their intention to dominate space but with more friendly-sounding words. “The American Declaration of Freedom in Space” — who came up with that title, Natalie Harp? I’ve long argued that America is a continent not a country. But a failing empire grasping at straws wants to expand its scope into outer space to establish “freedom” there.
What could go wrong?
I found these parts of the declaration to be especially untrue, even delusional:
we are reinvigorating human spaceflight, unleashing a competitive and thriving commercial space industry, and ensuring American space superiority for all eternity..
hasten the day when an American becomes the first human to set foot on the red dunes of Mars..
strengthen our national security for centuries to come.. (This is what this statement is really about, imo.)
The nation that leads in space will shape the future of humanity — and that nation will be the United States of America.
I don’t think we are “ahead” of the Chinese on space tech. Probably not the Russians either. Both are cultures that put a high value on education and meritocracy. The U.S. education system is class-based and has been deliberately weakened for decades; it simply does not produce enough math, physics, or engineering graduates able to dominate[sic] space next year, never mind “for all eternity.”
Exhibit A is this NYT above the fold headline I spotted in a Brooklyn deli. (I did not buy it as I’m unwilling to support corporate propaganda outlets claiming to be journalism.) “Crossing an Ocean, So She Can Continue Studying the Sky” is about an astrophysicist who has relocated to Europe to continue her research.
The current regime catered to its MAGA base by slashing funding for research at universities in the U.S. Now the regime wants to lead in space to “shape the future of humanity” — without scientists?
Flashy advertising campaigns in airports do not get you anywhere.
NASA is offering $164,000 as starting salary for astronauts to work on the moon. If you skim the educational requirements you’ll see that a decade or more of expensive university programs is required of applicants. In the U.S. that means either wealthy parents or graduating with at least six figures worth of student debt.
Guess which countries graduate astrophysicists with zero student debt?
But the pipeline starts earlier with K-12 national programs that support mathematics, science, technology, and engineering. Been in a U.S. public school lately? Between rampant illiteracy and frequent disruptions due to poor behavior in classrooms, learning outcomes have been declining for decades. Only a fool would think these foundations will lead to excellence in the sciences required for successful space programs.
The U.S. had long addressed this by welcoming university students from other countries who can afford tuition or are brilliant enough for scholarships. But MAGA ruined that, too.
The U.S. empire will go down in history as agents responsible for genocide of the Palestinian people, not as masters of space. The same people who gave you the Gaza “Board of Peace” can issue all the declarations they want — it won’t change facts on the ground. Or in the sky.
See: Original Post
