HOUSE BILL: Enceladus Mission Probe Funding (Passed)

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Well, our Space Program needs a future gentleman, there's no better place than Enceladus, and it's ripe for discovery. Enceladus, yes, it's far off. But we should try for things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Enceladus is a small moon in the Saturnian System, and it has an underwater saltwater Ocean the size of the Pacific under its icy surface. But it's not just salt water. It's warm salt water. Literally, just as much as our largest Ocean on Earth. It most likely has underwater volcanoes, and with all of this... It seems like the most likely place in our Solar System to host life. Enceladus, specifically will be selected for this Program because all the conditions are there. We should see if anyone's home. For 6 billion dollars, we could potentially answer a question that goes as far back as time. Are we alone? Let's figure out boys, let's figure out. Let's get that new sense of discovery rolling again.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Let's go for this. We need to revitalize our sense of discovery and optimism as a nation, and the research and development caused by this investment will multiply many times over in other innovations which will help fuel our economy and make lives better and easier for our people. I suggest adding a clause that would guarantee protecting any alien lifeforms that we encounter which are not considered a threat to our mission or planet Earth since I wish avoid a genocide of a harmless alien species on the scale of that which happened upon contact between Europeans and Native Americans.

Thank you!! And we would never consider killing any alien lifeform, also the submarine would be completely free of any Earth bacteria!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

To answer some of my fellow colleagues questions':

Is this being conducted by the government entirely, or through contracts with private aerospace companies? If so, what accountability mechanisms could we propose to ensure that taxpayer dollars are respected?

Pretty much the Government. Companies are in this just to make a profit so far, look at the current plans for colonies on the Moon, Mars, and Titan. They all have the potential for profit money wise, but Enceladus. Our profit from this shall be symbolic, and also I guess money wise if you consider the creation of new jobs. We'll most likely have an answer to our lifelong question: "are we alone?".  Thank you!

I am inclined to support this, however I just want to note that I think colonization efforts should be a higher priority. But as long as one doesn't prevent the other from happening, I am in favor of our space program getting additional funding for groundbreaking research opportunities.

It won't slow down any colonization efforts, I may have a bill for a moon residence soon. It's a good first step, but the Enceladus Expedition won't be anything but discovery. Thanks!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

I am also inclined to support this, but I would like to ask what the basis is for those cost estimates?

The basis for the cost estimates are current space faring probes, and how we can be most efficient for the lowest amount possible. This should be enough to cover probe with a small subermissible, trust me!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Something to consider: suppose we do find life on Enceladus. What rights would these organisms — intelligent or otherwise — have, and how would we go about seeing that they are respected? It would be a tragedy indeed if we were discover life elsewhere in the solar system, only to extinguish it through carelessness.

We shall make a law that any life form killed on Enceladus is a brutal crime. We wouldn't interfere with it much. We could monitor if primitive, but have no right to guide its evolution.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Something to consider: suppose we do find life on Enceladus. What rights would these organisms — intelligent or otherwise — have, and how would we go about seeing that they are respected? It would be a tragedy indeed if we were discover life elsewhere in the solar system, only to extinguish it through carelessness.

We shall make a law that any life form killed on Enceladus is a brutal crime. We wouldn't interfere with it much. We could monitor if primitive, but have no right to guide its evolution.

My issue is that if there was some sort of patheogenic bacteria discovered, we then wouldn't be allowed to kill it, creating potential problems on earth.

Enceladus is far from Earth, it's in the Saturnian system, plus the probe would never return to Earth.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Any other concerns?

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

We should move this to a final vote!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

That's great! Any objections? If not, we needa move to a final vote!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

How is it wrong to not kill microbes? Their may also be more advanced life forms on Enceladus, so we can research but we shouldn't kill.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

I second the remarks by the Minority Leader. I would, first, remind my colleagues that the amendment refers to genocide, not the accidental killing of a few microbes.

More importantly, however, I cannot condone the implicit argument that the extermination of the only known alien life in the universe would be an acceptable price to pay for getting a closer look at a rock. We have, as the authors of a potentially historic mission, an obligation to take the ethical implications of our actions into account. We must not allow the mistakes of Columbus and Cortez to be repeated on Enceladus. No doubt my colleagues will think this a false equivalence; yet as the Minority Leader notes, we cannot know if the organisms we may find are sentient. To wave away concern for the rights of new species so to pave the way for future colonization is a chilling prospect, and one I cannot support.

This amendment is an effort to be thorough, and to set in place legal protections before discoveries are made and the rationalizations of selfishness begin. The discovery of alien life would be a unique opportunity, and we must treat it carefully; if that carefulness causes delays, that is far preferable to the would-be genocide of a species.

Thank you, you make excellent points. We could still research the microbes but we don't have to kill to do it and we should treat all life great. What if it were us? What if aliens didn't care if they discovered us? We shouldn't let any harm come to our potential cosmic friends, but it may be more than just microbes we find down there. There's a body of water larger than the Pacific.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

We need to proceed to a vote, Mr. Speaker.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

We need to proceed to a vote, Mr. Speaker.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Aye!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

NAY


I applaud the desire to protect said organism, but I fear we might be tying our hands too much, especially if the organism prove a hazard.

The craft not organisms shall ever the turn to Earth, I understand your vote, but it shall never prove harmful to anyone. If us humans are harmful and destroy eachother, who's to say we won't destroy an innocent race?

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Let's get this funded through our space program

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Let's get this funded through our space program

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nasa_fy2016_afr_508.pdf


This rather long pdf contains information from the fy2016 NASA spending. Since we are presently operating under FY 2016 funding levels, this would be accurate as it relates to Atlasia.

Welp, let's get it funded through here. Exploration awaits us

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Yes, don't worry, sorry it should be here soon!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Great!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Let's get this passed!