NONPROLIFERATION
IN OUTER SPACE
BENCHMARK III
Student Olga Kosykh
Teacher Viktoria Gladkova
Seversk Gymnasia
Seversk 2007
CONTENTS
1.
Space
activities in Literature and Films.
2.
Iran’
nuclear and space program.
3.
Conclusion.
4.
Bibliography.
Space
Activities in Literature and Films
/www.wikipedia.org
/
I’ve previewed the movie that is called “Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom
Menace”.This movie
is a 1999 science
fantasy film dedicated to the theme of space, written and
directed by George
Lucas. It was the
fourth film to be released in the Star
Wars saga, and
the first in terms of internal chronology.
Plot
It is a distant galaxy eons before the creation
of the planet Earth. Advancements in technology and science have allowed the
evolution of millions of worlds that are otherwise in many respects still
primitive. These worlds are somewhat loosely allied into an intergalactic
Republic, whose capital world is the planet Coruscant, a planetary city.
Upholding order for the Republic are the Jedi, an order of warriors endowed
with near-super power derived from self-generated fields of energy known
collectively as The Force. Within the Republic, dissident worlds have banded
into an alliance known as the Trade Federation, and the Trade Federation is
locked in a dispute with the peaceful world of Naboo. Two Jedi knights, Qui-Gon
Jinn and his youthful apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, have been sent to Naboo to
help mediate an end to the dispute, but Nute Gunray, an alien viceroy, orders
them to be killed, and the two Jedi discover upon their escape that the Trade
Federation will launch an invasion of Naboo. With the help of a well-meaning
but hopelessly subliterate alien native of Naboo (who belongs to the race of
Gungans), Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan land on Naboo to rescue her ruler, Queen Amidala,
a ruler whose rule is a mixture of monarchy and republican democracy. Escaping
Naboo, they are attacked by a Federation base star and are forced to land on
the distant planet Tatooine, where in seeking parts to complete their journey
to Coruscant they encounter a young boy, Annikan Skywalker, a slave who
possesses a gift for the savagely dangerous sport of podracing - a gift that
Qui-Gon deduces is part of a genetic makeup perfect for the Jedi Order. Annikan
eventually joins with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and in the process attracts the
attention of one of Queen Amidala's handmaidens Padmé with a dramatic secret,
and all reach Coruscant, but endless and pointless debate within the Republic's
Senate leave them no choice but to strike out on their own to liberate Naboo.
To stop the Federation invasion by herself, the
Queen decides to return to Naboo with her security team, the two Jedi, R2-D2,
Anakin, and Jar Jar.
On Naboo, Padmé reveals herself as Queen
Amidala and forms an alliance with the Gungans for the battle against the Trade
Federation. It looses the battle. A large celebration is held on Naboo to
celebrate the world's liberation and the newborn alliance between the Naboo and
the Gungans. In the aftermath, the newly elected Chancellor of Senate Palpatine
congratulates Queen Amidala on her victory and promises to watch Anakin's
career with great interest. Obi-Wan is promoted to the level of Jedi Knight,
and Anakin becomes his padawan (apprentice). /www.imdb.com/
I feel taken. There is no kinder way to put
that. I’m not a die-hard fan analyzing every sentence, glance or breath of
every character in every moment of the film, but I certainly enjoy it. A person
who says this film has poor acting or poor character and plot development is
just blind. I also can’t but mention that you can see almost in every
scene beautiful, gorgeous costumes in which actors are dressed
(remember Queen Amidala). I tend to think that if it was the first "Star
Wars" movie, "The Phantom Menace" would be hailed as a visionary
breakthrough. But this is the fourth movie of the famous series, and most of us
think they know the territory… I am reminded of the Isaac Asimov story
"Nightfall," about the planet where the stars were visible only once
in a thousand years. So awesome was the sight that it drove men mad.
I’ve heard that a lot of people after watching
this movie have paid lip service
to the visuals and wondering why the characters aren't better developed. But I
think that if some of the characters are less than compelling, perhaps that's
inevitable: this is the first story in the chronology and has to set up
characters who will become more interesting with the passage of time.
I agree with Roger Ebert who says that “the stories of the
"Star Wars" movies have always been space operas, and that the
importance of the movies comes from their energy, their sense of fun, their
colorful inventions and their state-of-the-art special effects. I do not attend
with the hope of gaining insights into human behavior. Unlike many movies,
these are made to be looked at more than listened to, and George
Lucas and his
collaborators have filled "The Phantom Menace" with wonderful
visuals”. Set against awesome backdrops, the characters in "The Phantom
Menace" inhabit a plot that is little more complex than the
science-fiction stories of the past times.
The plot details (of embargoes and blockades)
tend to diminish the size of the movie's universe-to shrink it to the scale of
a 19th century trade dispute. The stars themselves are little more than
pinpoints on a black curtain, and "Star Wars" has not drawn
inspiration from the color photographs being captured by the Hubble Telescope.
The series is essentially human mythology, set in space, but not occupying it.
Lucas gives us the universe domesticated by man. His aliens are really just
humans in odd skins.
The only thing that I don’t really like in this
movie is that the dialogues is pretty flat and straightforward, but it doesn’t
matter much. All in all,"Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace,"
to cite its full title, is an astonishing achievement in imaginative
filmmaking. /www.rogerebert.suntimes.com/
Historical and cultural
allusions
Like
previous Star Wars films, The
Phantom Menace makes several
references to both historical events and films that George Lucas viewed in his
youth. The Star Wars movies
typically mix several selected concepts from different mythologies and
religions together.
Cultural allusions (myths and religions)
· There are many Christian and biblical references in the film, such as the appearance
of Darth Maul. Maul's design draws heavily from traditional depictions of the Christian Devil, complete with red skin and horns. The Star
Wars film cycle features a
similar religious narrative involving Anakin Skywalker, a messiah conceived of
a virgin birth, who is tempted to join the Sith — his sworn
enemy — in order to save the life of Padmé Amidala, his secret wife. This
action seemingly prevents him from fulfilling his duty as the "Chosen
One"— the individual prophesied to destroy the Sith. The inspiration
behind the story of the "virgin birth" parallels a concept developed
by Joseph
Campbell and his
work on The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the same work that heavily influenced Lucas
in his writing of the original Star Wars trilogy.
the Sith /www.wikipedia.org/
· Lucas has said that chivalry, knighthood, paladinism, and such things in feudal societies inspired
some concepts in the Star Wars movies, most notably the Jedi
Knights. The work
of the mythologist Joseph
Campbell, most
notably his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, directly influenced George
Lucas, and was what
drove him to create the 'modern myth' of Star Wars. The supernatural flow of energy known as The Force is believed to have originated from the
concept of prana, or qi, "the
all-pervading vital energy of the universe".
Film
·
Star Wars was heavily inspired by Kurosawa's films The Hidden Fortress and Yojimbo.
·
Lucas has also cited
The Searchers and Lawrence of Arabia as references for the style—if not the
story—used in the films.
·
Lucas is also a
fan of Sergio
Leone's film Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), and according to Leone's biographer, Christopher Frayling, he listened to the score from Leone's film while
editing The Empire Strikes Back.
·
The space battles
were based on filmed World
War I dogfights.
Literature
·
The science fiction writer Isaac
Asimov stated on several occasions that George
Lucas's galaxy-wide Empire bore a close resemblance to the Galaxy depicted
in Asimov's Foundation
Series. The
greatest differences are that Asimov's Galaxy contains no robots or non-human aliens; Asimov addressed both issues directly in the
saga's later volumes, most notably Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth. Since Asimov's death in 1992, the Star Wars cinematic universe has gained new Asimov-esque
elements: Star Wars
Episode I: The Phantom Menace introduced the planet Coruscant, which bears a close resemblance to Asimov's Trantor (Coruscant technically originated in a book
from the Star Wars Expanded Universe released in 1991).
Isaac
Asimov wrote or
edited more than five hundred books and an estimated nine thousand letters and postcards. Most of them were about space, robots and the
future of a mankind closely connected with them.
His early career, dominated by science fiction,
began with short stories in 1939 and novels in 1950. This lasted until about 1958, all but ending
after publication of The
Naked Sun. He
began publishing nonfiction in 1952, co-authoring a college-level textbook
called Biochemistry and Human Metabolism. Following the brief orbit of the first man-made satellite Sputnik
I by the USSR in 1957, his production of nonfiction,
particularly popular
science books,
greatly increased, with a consequent drop in his science fiction output. Over
the next quarter century, he wrote only four science fiction novels. Starting
in 1982, the second half of his science fiction career began with the
publication of Foundation's Edge. From then until his death, Asimov published
several more sequels and prequels to his existing novels, tying them together
in a way he had not originally anticipated, making a unified series.
Asimov
believed that his most enduring contributions would be his "Three Laws of Robotics" and the Foundation
Series (see Yours, Isaac Asimov, p. 329). Furthermore, the Oxford English Dictionary credits his science fiction for introducing
the words positronic (an entirely fictional technology), psychohistory (frequently used in a different sense than the
imaginary one Asimov employed) and robotics into the English language. Asimov coined the
term robotics without
suspecting that it might be an original word; at the time, he believed it was
simply the natural analogue of mechanics, hydraulics, and so forth. (The original word robot derives from the Czech word for "forced labor", robotovat, robota). /www.wikipedia.org /
Historical allusions
· George Lucas has stated that many historical events
have been used in the Star Wars saga, for example, that the Empire was based on Hitler's Third Reich.
The storm troopers from the movies share a name with the Nazi storm
troopers (see also Sturmabteilung). The imperial officers' uniforms also resemble some (historical) German Army
uniforms (see waffen ss). In addition, some World War II terms may
have been used for names in Star Wars; examples include the planets Kessel (a term that refers to a group of encircled
forces) and Hoth (Hermann Hoth was a German general).
· As we know, in 1999 space industry was
progressing successfully and this fact could hardly not to lay an impression on
the people. Everyone lived in hope that someday the space would become human’s
future home, that globalization and uniting both of the nations and Earth with
the whole space would become a reality. As we can see this hopes have took a
place in the plot of Star Wars.
It’s
important that in the front of space and different high-tech technologies human
relationships, feelings still take the main position. I think, that is what
author tried to show to us. All in all, it doesn’t really matter that the place
of action is not the Earth. We can clearly see what will happen with our planet
in future, after the space will be observed properly. I mean:
1.
Existing of
Republic uniting the whole planets
2.
Existing of
really interesting, wise and sophisticated technologies (robots, space ships,
automobiles that can avoid gravitation)
Speaking
about the possible causes of the plot shown in the movie, we can divide them on
four domains: environmental, political, economic and social.
Environmental
domain
· scaring condition of environment brined by
developing of industry
· complex and active using of Earth resources
Political
domain
· strong collaboration of one country with others
· eliminating of the problems on the way of creating peaceful world without
imminence of war
· emergence of trust between not only some
particular persons, but between the whole nations
· existing of powerful organization that consist
of a big number of different
countries united on the base of trade, laws, etc
· existing of a strong space law that touches the
interests of most countries
· accession of countries that are have the
possibility of entering the space to follow to a comfortable for all space law
· desire of primitive countries to have it’s own
space equipment, ships, their own “place in space system”
· strong militarization control of the space (as
we see it in the movie, this process is inevitable)
Economic
domain
· lack of resources
· the pressure of globalization process
· developing of science and space industry
· easy character of content of basic human needs
· developing of commercial site in the space
Social
domain
· growing of nation that humans are unable to
stop
· becoming earth’s society the society with new
valuables
· making the need of developing space industry
important aim for society
· overcoming the fear of space
I tried to attract
other people to the process of decision the nonproliferation problem in space.
So, I met with Michael Semenchenko, the director of Seversk radio station, who
observes different political issues day by day and is interested in space
exploration and in the problem of people living in space.
Olga Kosykh: Is it really necessary to proliferate nuclear
weapons in outer space?
Michael
Semenchenko: To answer this
question, we should ask such a question first, “Does the man need this space or
not?” If space has been explored by the man for more than 50 years, the
question should be considered rhetorical and the answer is “Yes!”
O: Right, but why do people need space?
M: Lots of human fantasies, that were thought to
be unreal and unrealizable 50-100 years ago, have come true today thanks to the
technological progress. Thus, everything we read in the works of
science-fiction writers cannot be considered impossible. There are thousands of
examples of benefitial space use.
TV Satellite Dish. NASA developed ways to correct errors in the signals coming from the spacecraft. This technology is used to reduce noise (that is, messed up picture or sound) in TV signals coming from satellites.
Fire Fighter Equipment. Fire fighters wear suits made of fire resistant fabric developed for use in space suits.
Smoke Detector. First used in the Earth orbiting space station called Skylab (launched back in 1973) to help detect any toxic vapors. Now used in most homes and other buildings to warn people of fire.
Cordless Tools. Portable, self-contained power tools were originally developed to help Apollo astronauts drill for moon samples. This technology has lead to development of such tools as the cordless vacuum cleaner, power drill, shrub trimmers, and grass shears.
Thermal Gloves and Boots. These gloves and boots have heating elements that run on rechargeable batteries worn on the inside wrist of the gloves or embedded in the sole of the ski boot. This technology was adapted from a spacesuit design for the Apollo astronauts.
Space Pens. The Fisher Space Pen was developed for use in space. Most pens depend on gravity to make the ink flow into the ball point. For this space pen, the ink cartridge contains pressured gas to push the ink toward the ball point. That means, you can lie in bed and write upside down with this pen! Also, it uses a special ink that works in very hot and very cold environments.
O: Do you consider irrational use of space to be
threatening?
M: Currently, we already have examples of the
positive answer to the question: space debris (waste rocket stages, old
satellites) fall onto the Earth sometimes – we aren’t’ aware of the
consequences in such cases yet, but there will certainly be some. That is why
it is absolutely necessary to predict all the possible consequences of those
situations, to foresee the future to devise the tactics.
O: But how is that possible? The time machine
hasn’t been invented yet, but it is rather difficult to predict the man’s
thoughts; the consequences you’ve mentioned can be different…
M: Lots of human fantasies, that were thought to
be unreal and unrealizable 50-100 years ago, have come true today thanks to the
technological progress. Thus, everything we read in the works of
science-fiction writers cannot be considered impossible. They predicted the
introduction of lasers, superbombs, robots long before they appeared. That is
why we should pay special attention to their works, trying to solve those
large-scale problems. Especially, considering the fact, that the topic of space
has been widely discussed in science fiction stories.
O: Who is your favorite author?
M: The stories by Clifford Simak are much closer to me than many others. In
his novels «The Goblin Reservation», «City», «All Flesh is Grass», «Time is the
Simplest Thing» he tries to answer the simplest question “why it is necessary
to explore space”.
O: So, what ideas does Simak try to convey to a
reader?
M: In his novels «The Goblin Reservation», «City»,
«All Flesh is Grass», «Time is the Simplest Thing» he conveys the simplest idea
that in future we are going to live in space. And of course it is necessary to
explore space. In the novel “City” people populate Jupiter.
In «All Flesh is Grass» и «Time is the Simplest Thing» he describes
space as the Knowledge Treasury. Who knows, but maybe one part of the humanity
will be seeking sanctuary from the other part and will find “the Promised land“
in space?
O: How are people portrayed in his works?
M: I think that this question is also really
important to understanding of his works. And I can’t but mention that another
problem described in Simak’s works is if the mankind is worthy of the space.
“What can we offer to the galaxy and to the Universe besides our suspicions,
distrust and fears?”
He doesn’t
portray people either as “only good” or “only bad”. But he insists on his
opinion that if people don’t become wiser and more tolerant towards other
nations, races, beliefs and opinions there certainly won’t be any contact.
We need to
be calm, positive, smart and sociable. These are the features that belong to
the characters of his novels. Now and then people in USA and Russia sympathized
with them. That’s another reason why Clifford Simak won recognition all over
the world and got the name of “The elder of science fiction writers guild”
O: Thus, is the process of nuclear weapons
proliferation dangerous?
M: Yes, of course. Aliens might appear to be
unfriendly and we should be able to defend ourselves. Space aggressors might have
the needs similar to humans’ ones: they need the place and resources to exist.
Our technologies might become useless and helpless. Our defense weapons might
destroy ourselves. Nuclear weapons shouldn’t be proliferated in space.
O: What is the way out of this difficult situation
to your opinion?
M: It depends on us whether space will be the
place for new rockets or the place for new life. The man explores space.
Russian, American, French, Chinese and cosmonauts from other countries made the
first step and proved that people of different states, cultures, religions, color
skin can cooperate and get on well with each other. And let us suppose, though
a fantastic thought it could be, that only since the moment the humanity
becomes one friendly people, shall we have the opportunity to get into the deep
space, get to know other civilizations, who will share their knowledge with us.
“It would seem to me that by the time a race has achieved deep
space capability it would have matured to a point where it would have no
thought of dominating another intelligent species,” said Clifford D. Simak.
O: I’d like to thank
Michael for giving both really full information and interesting answers!
Iran’s nuclear and space program
Developments Plan
Iran's interest in nuclear technology dates back to the U.S. Atoms for
Peace program. In the 1950s, the Shah initiated Iran's nuclear research program
and developed an ambitious plan to produce 23,000MW from nuclear power by the
end of the century. Early progress was not steady, and the nuclear program was
stalled by the Islamic revolution in 1979, then the eight-year war with Iraq through most of the 1980s. The program was
revived later in the decade, when strategic interests began to drive the
nuclear program. Under the Khomeini regime, Iran's nuclear program steadily
grew on all fronts and stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, with a particular
emphasis on developing and strengthening indigenous capabilities. All Iran's
research activities in the recent past undoubtedly contribute to the future
development of a complete nuclear fuel cycle, which in turn would enable Iran
to weaponize without relying on outside assistance.
Although Iran began developing its nuclear program in the 1950s, it was
slow to progress until late in the 1960s, when the U.S.-supplied 5MW thermal
research reactor (TRR) went online at the Tehran
Nuclear Research Center (TNRC). In 1973 the Shah of Iran embarked on an ambitious goal of modernizing
the country and building its image abroad. He did this by shifting the
country's budgets toward the military and the newly established Atomic Energy
Organization of Iran (AEOI). The Shah set his goal high: "...get, as soon
as possible, 23,000MWe from nuclear power stations."/Nuclear Power in the Developing World (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1982)/ In 1968, Iran signed the NPT in an effort to
speed up its negotiations for nuclear agreements, particularly with the United
States. In 1970, the government ratified the NPT and its obligations went into
force.
In the five years that followed, Iran concluded several contracts for
the construction of nuclear plants and the supply of nuclear fuel. In addition
to his grand plans for nuclear power, the Shah placed a great emphasis on
establishing and developing a nuclear research program. Although the Shah had
no specific plans to engage in research of uranium reprocessing or enrichment,
the scientists at the AEOI's newly equipped TNRC were reportedly given great
discretion regarding the nature and direction of experiments conducted. According
to recently revealed documents discovered in Tehran after the revolution, in
the late 1970s Iran and Israel discussed a plan to modify Israel's
surface-to-surface Jericho missiles for use by Iran—missiles that could be
equipped with nuclear weapons. The Western intelligence community had long
suspected that the Shah's nuclear scientists conducted research into military
applications. Suspected activities at the TNRC include nuclear weapons design,
plutonium extraction and laser-enrichment research. By the time of the Islamic
Revolution in January 1979, Iran's nuclear program was considered one the most
advanced in the Middle East.
In the immediate aftermath of the revolution, Iran's ambitious nuclear
program fell apart due to the initial opposition by the Khomeini government to
nuclear technology and because of the exodus of many of Iran's nuclear scientists.
The weapons research side of Iran's nuclear activities seemed to have continued
uninterrupted by the revolution, and received a major boost when a new nuclear
research center opened at Isfahan in 1984.
Pakistan and China signed long-term nuclear cooperation
agreements with Iran in 1987 and 1990, respectively. The Soviet Union,
traditionally an ally of Iraq, had also indicated an interest in cooperating
with Iran. In 1990, the Soviet Union and Iran began negotiating over the
completion of the Bushehr reactors and the supply of additional nuclear plants.
In January 1995, the Russian
Federation formally announced
that it would complete the construction of the Bushehr reactors and signed an
agreement with Iran to build three additional reactors at the site. Since the
signing of these agreements, the United States has continuously expressed its
opposition to the Bushehr deal because of fears that the deal could provide
Iran with knowledge and technology to support a nuclear weapons program. Over
the years, the United States has successfully blocked several of Iran's nuclear
agreements, such as those with Argentina (uranium enrichment and heavy water production
facilities), China (plutonium-producing research reactor, two power reactors
and a uranium conversion plant), and Russia (heavy water production plant).
In 1995, it became evident that Iran may be pursuing nuclear weapons
through another track: by procuring dual-use items from Western firms. The
United States also learned that Iran and Russia concluded a secret protocol
stipulating, among other things, construction of a gas centrifuge enrichment
facility. The fear was that Iran might learn how to construct a similar
clandestine facility and then produce weapons-grade uranium undetected. The
United States then imposed extensive sanctions on Iran and successfully
pressured Russia and other potential suppliers, mostly in Europe, to halt
exports of sensitive dual-use nuclear technology to Iran, such as high-voltage
switches that could trigger a nuclear weapon and specialized remote manipulators
designed to handle heavy volumes of radioactive material and possibly intended
for a uranium or plutonium reprocessing plant. /www.nti.org/
Recent Developments and Current Status
Upon visiting suspected facilities in February 2003, and with new declarations
by Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluded that several
sensitive technology facilities are either operational, under construction, or
planned.
In an effort to diffuse the tense relations between Iran and the IAEA
and to preserve the sanctity of the nonproliferation regime, foreign ministers
of Britain, France and Germany secured Iran's consent to
cooperation with the IAEA ahead of the 31 October deadline. Faced with
probability of sanctions and international isolation in case of noncompliance
with the IAEA's demands, Iran announced on 21 October 2003 that it will
cooperate with the IAEA with full transparency and disclosure, sign the
Additional Protocol and commence its ratification procedures, and suspend all
enrichment and reprocessing activities, albeit for an "interim
period." And finally, on 18 December 2003, Iran signed the Additional
Protocol to the NPT, thus allowing snap inspections of its nuclear facilities
by the IAEA experts.
In an effort to bring Iran into compliance with its international
obligations, European representatives from Britain, France, and Germany, in
cooperation with the IAEA, offered Iran nuclear and trade incentives in
exchange for Iran's abandonment of nuclear aspirations. In mid-November, all
parties agreed to an agreement reaffirming Iran's commitment to uphold its
obligations under the NPT, yet recognizing its right to pursue nuclear technologies
for peaceful purposes.
U.S. officials, dissatisfied with the agreement, continued to pressure
the international community to pursue more stringent investigations of Iran's
nuclear program. In late November, a CIA report revealed Iranian involvement
with Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, and details regarding the nuclear
assistance and technology he shared.
On 29 November 2004, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution
regarding Iran, putting into effect the NPT Safeguards Agreement and forcing
Iran to suspend all nuclear-related activities until an investigation takes
place. Iranian government officials voluntarily agreed to the resolution, but
repeatedly declared that Iran has no intention of completely abandoning its
nuclear program as the agreement is temporary.
On 1 August 2005, Iran notified the IAEA of its decision to resume
uranium conversion activities at its conversion facility at Esfahan. This
decision to resume uranium conversion was seen as a breach of the November 2004
Paris Agreement that viewed Iran’s suspension of all uranium-related activities
as a prerequisite for dialogue. On 4 February 2006, the 35-nation board of the
IAEA voted to “report” Iran to the Security Council over its decision announced
in January, to restart nuclear research. The above resolution passed with 27
votes of approval, 5 abstentions, and 3 opposing votes. This was the first time
that Russia and China agreed to go along with the position of the EU-3 and the
United States over Iran. However, Russia and China insisted on using the word
“report” instead of “refer” in the text of the most recent IAEA resolution.
Iran has rejected the above resolution calling it, “illegal, illogical and
politically motivated.” Russia continues to pursue negotiations with Iran that
would allow Russia to host Iran’s uranium enrichment program leaving only the
uranium conversion to be carried out on Iranian soil. /www.nti.org/
Nowadays the UN and IAEA intend to apply sanctions against this state
which can increase the poverty level here and make the living conditions even
worse.
Iran
Plans to Boost Space program
Iran joined the space club when it launched its
first small satellite, the Sina-1, aboard a Russian rocket. That orbiter was
Russian-made, but Iran built its second satellite, the Mesbah, with help from
the Italian company Carlo Gavazzi Space. Mesbah is due to be carried into space
by a Russian rocket in about two months. The two satellites will give Iran a
limited capability to monitor the entire Middle East. Iranian officials point
to America's use of space to monitor Afghanistan and Iraq before invading them
and say they need similar abilities for their country's security. Iran is now
the world's 43rd country owning a satellite, but the government aims higher.
/www.washingtonpost.com/
Tehran, Iran (AP) - Iran's space agency is
trying to snap up technology from abroad as fast as possible for its satellite
program, fearing the West will seek to impose restrictions like those put on
the Iranian nuclear program.
Iran says it only wants to be able to put its own satellites in space to
monitor natural disasters in the earthquake-prone nation and improve its
telecommunications It makes similar peaceful claims for its atomic program, but
Washington and others suspect the real aim of that work is to acquire nuclear
weapons and have sought to clamp down on Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran
worries its space program will be targeted, too.
"The
moment they feel Iran has made a breakthrough, they will impose restrictions
more than those they have imposed on Iran's nuclear program,'' said one space
official, Mohammad Reza Movaseghinia. /www.washingtonpost.com/
Iran's next
goal is to launch a satellite with one of its own rockets. Iranian officials
say they are developing a Shahab-4 missile that could lift a satellite into
orbit, but have not given details on when it will be ready. Under its 20-year
plan, Iran aims to become a technological powerhouse of western Asia and a
regional superpower by 2025. Aerospace faculties have mushroomed at Iranian
universities in recent years, and Iranian technicians are being trained in
Italy, Russia and China on how to design and build satellites. The government
has allocated $500 million on space projects for the next five years.
Russia,
which has helped the Iranians with their nuclear program, appears to be the
main partner in transferring space technology to Iran. In January, Iran signed
a $132 million deal with a Russian firm to build and launch a
telecommunications satellite within the next two years. Iran has also signed
agreements to launch a joint satellite with China and Thailand.
TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's announcement that it launched a research rocket
has called new attention to a space program that Tehran says is peaceful but
which some fear aims to produce long-range ballistic missiles that could reach
Europe or the United States.
Exactly what Iran launched, or even what it aimed to do, remains the
subject of debate, speculation and possible misinterpretation.
But there are parallels to the controversy over its nuclear program.
Some experts say that in both cases, what Iran says is a peaceful
program could mask or be transformed into a weapons program. And in both cases,
Iran's actual capabilities and the speed at which they are improving remain
largely unknown.
A satellite launch had been expected ever since the magazine Aviation
Week reported comments by a top Iranian lawmaker, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, in
January that Iran had assembled a space launch vehicle (SLV) that would lift
off soon. An SLV is any type of rocket used to launch a spacecraft or satellite
into orbit. The announcement raised eyebrows because experts say there is
little difference between the technology needed to construct an SLV and that
needed to produce intercontinental ballistic missiles that can carry warheads. "They
use the same core technologies, with some difference in guidance systems and
fuel," said John Sheldon of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies
at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala. /www.washingtompost.com/
Iran is known to possess a medium-range ballistic missile known as the
Shahab-3 with a range of at least 800 miles, capable of striking Israel. In
2005, Iranian officials said they had improved the range of the Shahab-3 to
1,200 miles. Experts also believe Iran is developing the Shahab-4 missile,
thought to have a range between 1,200-1,900 miles, which would enable it to hit
much of Europe.
Analysts believe both missiles are based on North Korean prototypes and
suspect Iran has received ballistic missile assistance from Russia and China as
well.
Iran initially acknowledged in 1999 it was developing the Shahab-4, but
said it would be used only as a space launch vehicle for commercial satellites.
In 2003, Tehran declared it had ended the Shahab-4 program. At the same time,
Iran has made no secret of major ambitions for its space program. In 2005, the
government said it had allocated $500 million for space projects in the next
five years. Also in 2005, Iran launched its first commercial satellite, Sina-1,
into orbit from a Russian rocket.
On Feb. 24, Defense Minister Mostafa Najar confirmed that Iran is now
constructing its own satellites and the rockets to launch them. Iran says it
wants to put its own satellites into orbit to monitor natural disasters in the
earthquake-prone nation and improve its telecommunications. Iranian officials
also point to America's use of satellites to monitor Afghanistan and Iraq and
say they need similar abilities for their security.
But Iran's potential ability to move swiftly from rockets to ICBMs has
the United States concerned. In its 2001 National Intelligence Estimate, the
U.S. intelligence community warned that Iran was likely to develop space-launch
vehicles to establish the technical base to produce ICBMs. It estimated that
Iran would try to launch an ICBM/SLV by the second half of this decade.
Craig Covault of Aviation Week said the Iranians probably could
accomplish a space launch by only slightly modifying the current Shahab-3,
because the U.S. used similar missiles in the 1950s for its space program. /www.washingtompost.com/
Not everyone agrees. Anton Khlopkov, a nonproliferation expert with the
Moscow-based PIR-Center think tank, said he believes it would take the Iranians
a decade to build an ICBM. He views Iran's latest rocket launch as all
"bluff. ... It was an attempt to influence both the domestic public
opinion and the West." /www.washingtompost.com/
As we can see the
conflict is of global scale now. The countries have divided into three camps:
for, against and neutral. The first camp includes Iran and other Asian
countries that have huge amounts of natural resources, gas and oil, which are
important for everybody. This allows them to make others listen to their
opinion. One of the most important problems is the problem of globalization and
the US intrusion into the internal politics of other states. That is why Iran’s
hostility towards USA is quite clear.
The USA is in the
second camp and public agents and analysts of private companies say that Iran
is trying to counterbalance all the rest countries possessing nuclear weapons.
Americans threaten Iran with the warfare. The goals might be not only the
objects related to the nuclear program but peaceful settlements as well. This
might certainly happen when all the diplomatic potentialities to solve the
problem by way of peaceful adjustment will be exhausted. Iran declares it is
ready to abrogate the non-proliferation treaty in case of attack of its nuclear
facilities and non-diplomatic methods can lead to rise in oil prices. However,
Iran ignored all repeated UN’s and IAEA’s warnings.
What concerns Russia,
it takes neutral stand cooperating with both the states and balancing the
situation. To some extent Russia tries to stop the conflict development. Great
Britain, Germany and the USA have made a new suggestion according to which Iran
may produce nuclear fuel but all the work concerning uranium enrichment must be
done in Russia.
But it is more
likely, to our opinion, that Iran might choose its own way to pursue its policy
developing the space and nuclear research programs. It is quite possible Iran will
build its own launch pad to launch satellites and other space objects.
Eventually, Iran might finish its nuclear research and get enriched uranium and
produce nuclear weapons. Thus, having its launch pad this state could put a
missile with a nuclear charge in orbit. And having nuclear weapons in space
Iran might want to use it against the countries that are trying to prevent the
possibility when Iran would launch missiles into space.
If the conflict is transferred
into space, there might the following state of affairs:
1. The USA would put an embargo on Iran and
pressure all the countries cooperating with the United States to oppose Iran.
2. Iran’s rivals in that area would also want to
develop nuclear power engineering.
3. There would be a great number of illegal
companies providing Iran with facilities necessary for nuclear research.
4. Iran would create nuclear weapons eventually.
5. The counties that have the opportunities of
launching objects into space might help Iran might start nuclear weapons
testing there.
6. The coterminous countries might ask Iran to
support them in nuclear power engineering development and to defend them with
the help of space weapons from other countries.
However, we
should take into consideration the fact that this area is densely populated.
Iran has no experience in launching space objects at all. And any unsuccessful
attempt might result in an accident. The missile could crash in a populated
area and there would certainly be numerous casualties. And this event might
give cause for a war in that fragile state of affairs. The countries opposing
Iran could initiate a war against it.
Conclusion
Space is our past,
present and future. Once having come from space the humanity will come there
back.
Scientists have
gathered a lot of evidence and information about the universe and developed a
theory called the Big Bang. The theory states that about 13.6 billion years ago
all the matter in the universe was concentrated into a single incredibly tiny
point. This began to enlarge rapidly in a hot explosion. At the point of this
event all of the matter and energy of space was contained at one point. What
existed prior to this event is completely unknown and is a matter of pure
speculation. This Big Bang gave life to lots of space bodies, stars, planets,
galaxies, black holes and maybe to something we don’t have any idea about.
Kostya Syrtsev, Kirill Radchenko, students,
Seversk Gymnasium
The history of space exploration.
Billiards of years
space developed without any human intrusion. However, when the humanity passed
the epoch of industrial revolution, the first satellite was launched into
space. Space technologies have been developed rapidly since then.
In general, the
history of space exploration can be compared to the history of the Earth
exploration. In pre-historic era people lived in small groups, but then the
necessity to find new resources and new territories to live on pushed them to
fight with other groups for those territories. Seeking new places people
discovered new lands and continents.
Something similar
happened to space. At the beginning separate countries (the USSR, the USA) made
attempts to penetrate into space. Then people realized that they can achieve
much more in a union and started to cooperate in this sphere.
The civil use of
space provides us with all the possible comforts: TV, GPRS, cellular
communication, develop meteorology and develop our knowledge about the Earth
and the Universe and so on. But discovering something new people often used
weapons to hold and protect it from rivals.
Kostya Syrtsev, Kirill Radchenko, students,
Seversk Gymnasium
Weaponization
works…
Besides cooperation
and peaceful ways there has always existed the military way of the Earth as
well as space exploration. It is quite clear that one day space will become our
future home, because the
population on our planet grows and the number of territories to live on is
limited.
Kostya Syrtsev, Kirill Radchenko, students,
Seversk Gymnasium
Kostya Syrtsev, Kirill Radchenko, students,
Seversk Gymnasium
Our future home…
It’s the human’s nature to want to cooperate and to rival as well. It’s
impossible to avoid space militarization and weaponization. One of the greatest
scientists, Albert Einstein said, “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but WW IV
will be fought with sticks and stones.”
Let’s face
it, it’s impossible to stop this process but it’s possible to control it. Space
treaties are a good way to do it. And cosmonauts, though they are quite few,
managed to prove that people can live and work together and can live in peace.
The people themselves should change first. To live in space we should learn to
live on the Earth first.
Bibliography
1. Nuclear
Power in the Developing World (London: George Allen & Unwin,
1982)
2. www.imdb.com
3. www.nti.org
4. www.rogerebert.suntimes.com