Former astronaut Steve Smith, above, holds up his copy of the U.S. Constitution. He and fellow astronaut Danny Olivas, top inset photo, spoke to students on campus Oct. 8 as part of their Astronauts for America national “Vote for Freedom” college tour. Dean Jon Gould moderated the event. More than 120 students attended. Photos by Steve Zylius
Astronauts for America lands at UC Irvine to rally for ballots
By Mimi Ko Cruz
They have traveled 17,500 miles per hour, circled the Earth 16 times in a single day, and spacewalked among the stars. But on Oct. 8, former NASA astronauts Danny Olivas and Steve Smith touched down on a very different kind of mission — one they say may be just as critical to the future as any space launch.
The pair arrived at UC Irvine as part of Astronauts for America’s national “Vote for Freedom” college tour, bringing a message that blends cosmic wonder with civic urgency to an auditorium packed with students, with less than a month until the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Olivas reflected on how seeing Earth from space changes perspective: “When you’re strapped to a rocket and get fired off into space, the thing that really sets in with you is the perspective as you look back at our planet. You don’t see red states, you don’t see blue states, you don’t see congressional districts. You see one planet, and that perspective changes everyone who flies in space.”
The event was co-sponsored by UCI’s schools of Social Ecology, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering, and Information and Computer Sciences, and was made possible in part by UCI alumnus and generous supporter Peter Fishler (’80, B.A. social ecology), who helped broker the initial connection with Astronauts for America.
Smith, who completed four spaceflights and seven spacewalks, many dedicated to repairing the Hubble Space Telescope, wasted no time presenting the stakes, pointing to data from Tufts University and the New York Times.
“In your age group, there are 60 million people in the United States who could vote,” Smith told the audience of more than 120 undergrads in the auditorium. “Of those 60 million, only 28 million voted in the last national election. That means 32 million 19-to-29-year-olds did not vote and I’m going to bet that many of them say, ‘my vote’s not going to make a difference.’ Thirty-two million people think like that. It’s a disaster.”
Smith noted that most U.S. elections are decided by just 2 to 3% of voters.
“If you could get 3.6 million people out of your 32 million off the sidelines, it could have changed the last presidential election and all the other elections in our country,” he said. “Your age group can change everything. … People your age died defending democracy. The least we can do is vote.”
Making the impossible possible
Both astronauts drew vivid parallels between the teamwork required for space exploration and the collaborative demands of a healthy democracy.
Olivas compared a space shuttle main engine, made up of hundreds of thousands of interdependent components, to the individual voices that power a democratic system.
“Every single thing has to work. Every single thing is important, and it’s just like our democracy,” he said. “Everything, and everyone, has an important voice and should be heard.”
Olivas also invoked the parable of the starfish to address students who feel their individual efforts are futile in a divided nation. He described a child who responds to a skeptic’s dismissal by throwing yet another stranded starfish back into the sea: “It made a difference to that one.”
Smith offered his own cosmic image to drive the point home.
“Imagine a field covered with black velvet,” he said. “Danny and I come out with a little blue marble, throw it out there. It bounces, rolls to a stop. What you’d see is a tiny marble in all that black. This is where we live, and we need to take care of this island and take care of each other. Use your vote to help us do that.”
A nonpartisan mission
Astronauts for America, which launched in April and now counts more than 100 former NASA astronauts among its members, is careful to emphasize its nonpartisan roots. The organization includes Democrats, Republicans and Independents united by a shared oath to defend the Constitution.
“We are patriots, not politicians,” Smith said, holding up his pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution. “If we want to support what’s in this book, we have to make sure we elect officials who will honor it.”
Jon Gould, dean of UCI’s School of Social Ecology, who moderated the event, offered a characteristically direct take.
“When people complain to me about the state of America, the very first question I ask them is, ‘did you vote?’ ” Gould told the crowd. “If they didn’t vote, I say, ‘I don’t care what you have to say. It doesn’t matter.’ We all care about the fate of America, so you really do need to participate.”
Gould also reminded the audience that the election is three weeks away and that for California residents, mail-in ballots may already be waiting at home. A Zot the Vote registration table stationed outside the auditorium stood ready to assist students from all 50 states.
The event closed with a call to action that borrowed the language of exploration itself.
Olivas, who spent a decade trying before NASA finally selected him, and another nine years before his first flight, tied his own persistence directly to the act of voting.
“If you believe that your vote doesn’t matter and you don’t vote, then guess what? It doesn’t matter. If you want your voice to be heard, you have to participate — not just once, but as a lifetime commitment,” he said. “This is your country. Your voice can be heard, but you have to be willing to use it.”
And with that, Olivas offered a sendoff perfectly calibrated for an audience of Anteaters standing at the threshold of a consequential election: “One small step for you to the polls, and one giant leap for your country. We encourage you to take that step.”
Added Smith: “Do your part and zot on!”
Computer science major Kyler Chin reviewed the event this way: “For these astronauts to come here and speak up about something they care about is very profound. They want us to save our democracy. That's very profound.”
Those interested in joining Astronauts for America can visit astronautsforamerica.org. To check voter registration status or register in any of the 50 states, visit vote.org or connect with UCI’s Office of Civic Engagement.
Watch the full presentation on YouTube.