The Meaning of Life 80
President George Bush encouraged Apple to get computers
into Russia to “foment revolution from below.”^3 Several of
the world’s 70 space endeavors aim to improve communi-
cations, mapping, and weather observations with the help
of satellites. India is a poor country, but India has a space
program. In 1999, a cyclone hit India’s east coast and killed
more than 10 000 people. But because of satellites, a recent
cyclone killed only a few people. Indian weather satellites
had helped to predict where and when the storm would
hit.^414
Yet another reason why we need a space program is less
visible. Before NASA launched a Saturn V rocket, Ralph
Abernathy arrived to the launch site. After the assassina-
tion of Martin Luther King, Abernathy became the new
leader of the Poor People’s Campaign, which was an effort
to gain economic justice for poor people in the US. Together
with hundreds of people, he protested against what they
thought was a waste of money. “We are protesting Amer-
ica’s inability to choose the proper priorities,” Abernathy
said. “It’s really not about the capability to do this, it’s this
money that’s going to the Moon, this money’s going to be
on the Moon, and it should be being spent on these people
down here on Earth.”^15
Before the countdown to launch hit zero, NASA invited
Abernathy to watch the launch from the VIP area. “If
it were possible for us not to push the button tomorrow
and solve the problems with which you are concerned, we
would not push the button,” a NASA employee told the
group when they entered the area.^15