The Declaration of Independence is a political declaration that has echoed around the world for 250 years. It is with these echoes that Americans pushed out into the new frontiers of their homeland and eventually into space. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness spurred innovation that inspired generations.
In 2011, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard addressed the US Congress and spoke of how watching America land humans on the Moon was the defining image of the United States for her generation of Australians.
The first steps on the Moon were not just an extraordinary act of science and engineering — they were also a deafening statement of political power. And that, at its heart, is what the Founders sought with their own Declaration.
The first steps on the Moon were not just an extraordinary act of science and engineering — they were also a deafening statement of political power.
American dominance in space, exemplified by the Moon landing nearly six decades ago, is deeply ingrained, not only in American culture, but in Australia’s as well. USSC polling shows that when asked about space, more Australians are aware of and follow the activities of NASA than their own domestic space agency.
The most well-known Australian space events are related to its contributions to the Moon landings, dramatically retold in the 2000 movie “The Dish.” When I speak to STEM students in Australia who are interested in careers in space, most are concerned with their ability to seek employment in the United States or with American space companies.
America’s Cold War declaration of political power still echoes alongside the lofty ideals of the Declaration of Independence. The call is powerful enough to draw the best and brightest from our shores to the United States.
America’s Cold War declaration of political power still echoes alongside the lofty ideals of the Declaration of Independence.
Alexander MacDonald, the first Chief Economist at NASA, writes in his 2000 book, The Long Space Age, about how the current success the private US space sector enjoys should not be seen as novel, but rather as a reflection of American ideals from the founding.
He places particular emphasis on personal initiative and private funding, which readers of An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution by Charles Beard would find interesting even if Beard’s book was first published in 1913. While modern history challenges Beard’s assumptions around elite protectionism and economics as the main motivation for the Founders at the Constitutional Convention, one must acknowledge the role they play in the exploration of new frontiers
Indeed, for better or for worse, American individualism and economic ideals grease the wheels of innovation. Australia could not produce SpaceX. However, that does not mean Australia should ignore the lessons of the Declaration and American inspiration.
When President Kennedy in 1962 declared that “we choose to go to the Moon … and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard,” he did so after explicitly tying the exploration of space to the “vows of this nation.” Not just the pursuits of the Declaration of Independence but also the power of “We the People” in the Constitution.
For better or for worse, American individualism and economic ideals grease the wheels of innovation.
While Apollo was the defining image of America for Gillard’s generation, it is less certain what this generation of Australians will see as America’s defining image. Its scientific accomplishments are all too often eclipsed by its increasingly polarised politics.
It is perhaps either ironic or apropos that Elon Musk, the most well-known American entrepreneur in space and a polarising figure himself, has benefited significantly from the Founders’ ideals and is now the world’s first trillionaire. Especially given that during his time at DOGE, he was responsible for the most significant reduction in American soft power abroad in recent memory, as he indiscriminately cut foreign aid programs.
This is the uncomfortable truth we must sit with as America celebrates 250 years — she is not perfect. Her promises are not accessible to everyone within her borders. Her ideals can be abused by those in power. Many of her scientific innovations came at the expense of black and brown bodies. Even in our pursuit of space, we have permanently changed the way night skies appear — sky country is littered with trains of Starlink satellites and the debris of defunct spacecraft.
Yet, space still breaks through and inspires. According to YouGov polling, more than half of Australian adults watched the Artemis II mission and saw it as a powerful reminder of the importance of global cooperation. Similarly, the United States sees its space program as a powerful reminder of its political power and its adherence to its founding ideals.
Space still breaks through and inspires.
The Artemis II mission showcased the best of this — a highly accomplished and diverse group of astronauts unabashed in their Moon joy — commanding the world’s attention. Even in the midst of rising tensions and economic pressures at home and abroad, the mission demonstrated that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is not just a declaration but a statement of political power.
The power, not only for its citizens to dream of a more perfect union, but to build that union through their own industry and innovation.
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