Bordering on the Ridiculous

Gen. James Dickinson, commander of the U.S. Space Command, has raised concerns about the “space arm” on the Chinese Space Station, observing that it “could be used in a future system for grappling other satellites.” He might have also commented that such an arm might also grab one of Dickinson’s “space cowboys” with a power pack who happened to be snooping too close to the Chinese Space Station — and take him prisoner, or — horrors! — even crush him to death. After all, in the demented world of the head of Space Command, I suppose anything can happen. But, hey, wait! The International Space Station has for years been using the Canada Arm developed for use in space. And, let’s face it, space cadets, China is building a space station, and given the difficulty of transporting cranes to space, that space arm can come in handy in its construction. While the notion of a “space command” sounded a little too Star Trekky when it was introduced by President Trump, it is now turning into a Loony Tunes cartoon. Let’s hope that these fantasies don’t impinge too greatly on the real world – or we’re in trouble.