Believe

Frontier theory, like all logic, is prescriptive. Do this; get that result. We have considered, logically, aspects of frontier theory that include the prospects for humanity (Universe 25), how to improve our chances (First, Buy Time), balancing risk (The Point Loma Legacy), how to make money (The Economics of Discovery), what society at large can do to ensure its own future (Cities in the Sky) and how individuals can contribute (Butcher, Baker, History Maker).

Art has been a neglected facet of the prescription, and it's a shame, because only art speaks directly to passion. Art does not lecture. It ignites ideas, incites wonder, provokes laughter and spreads hope like wildfire, but it does not lecture.

So here I am, about to lecture you on what others are doing to promote territorial expansion, whether they realize they are doing that or not, by employing the arts.

In a recent letter to the editor of Spaceviews.com, "Stellar Bear" wrote, "Destination Moon inspired the American people (to believe) that (going to) the moon was not just idle dreaming. If not for that film, I believe that JFK's 'moon in this decade' speech would have collapsed as fast as Bush's $450-billion Mars program."

Indeed, NASA is aware of the potential of filmmaking to boost public interest in space exploration. NASA scientists have been involved in Hollywood productions since a few of them teamed up to help design the U.S.S. Enterprise of Star Trek fame. More recently, the space agency's scientists have provided technical input for Ron Howard's Apollo 13, Clint Eastwood's Space Cowboys and the asteroid thriller Deep Impact. Astronaut Story Musgrave, who, at 61, helped to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, consulted on director Brian de Palma's Mission to Mars.

Incidentally, after Musgrave retired from the agency, he went to work in Walt Disney's "imagineering" department designing space ships and moonscapes. Now, he says, he's more of an artist than a technician.

Not to be outdone, television's NBC network recently inked a deal to send one civilian contest winner on a voyage aboard a Russian spacecraft. The show will parallel the successful Survivor series, with contestants undergoing cosmonaut training at Russia's Star City. Each week, Russian space officials will weed out one player, until only one remains. Dreamtime Holdings, Inc., is pursuing similar arrangements with CBS, ABC and Fox that would use NASA facilities at Houston to train contestants hoping to be selected to spend a week aboard the International Space Station. ABC has a show called Life on Mars, which follows the activities of participants in a simulated Mars outpost.

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