Father and Daughter Propose Launching ‘Peace Star’ Satellite
Jon Maxey, Co-founder of
Bright Light Inc., an organization that provides humanitarian aid for third
world nations, and 16-year-old daughter Angela, have conceived an ambitious
strategy to focus attention on world peace called the International Peace Star
Plan ( www.thepeacestar.org ). As part of this plan the Maxeys envision the
International Peace Star — a large, inflatable, earth-orbiting, reflective
sphere — as a constant reminder of the beauty that surrounds us and the
importance of peace to our future
“Many nights when I return home after work,” says Jon Maxey, “I stop to
look into a sky full of stars. I usually have the same thought: we all share
this magnificent sight, regardless of the differences that separate us. We
are all connected and part of something much bigger. We share a
responsibility to the future that we often fail to fully appreciate. But how
can we get everyone to look up into the sky and think a little more about the
importance of a peaceful future?”
Together, the father-daughter team drafted the “International Peace Star
Plan” comprising two main components:
First, “The International Peace Star Project,” which envisions launching
into orbit a glimmering 142-foot beacon that transcends race, nationality, and
culture. “When placed in a near-equatorial orbit,” says Jon, “the balloon-
like sphere will remain circling above Earth’s surface as a constant reminder
of our shared dream for peace.”
Second, “The International Peace Superfund,” an unprecedented effort to
provide the resources to help people lift themselves from the hopelessness of
profound poverty through self-sufficiency, education, and free market
principles.
The project has caught the interest of U.S. Senator Carl Levin, and
General Motors Corp. CEO Richard Wagoner Jr., who have pledged support in
various ways.
The University of Michigan’s Department of Aerospace Engineering has
completed a directed study project for the design and feasibility of the Peace
Star. The cost to build and deploy the inflatable satellite into orbit is
about $17 million. The structure itself would cost around $600,000, with the
larger portion going toward the cost of launching the satellite into space.
The design is patterned after NASA’s Echo satellites that were launched during
the ’60s. An 8-foot diameter prototype has been developed as a public
relations visual. They hope to interest a Fortune 1000 company, foundation,
or individual to sponsor the project. The Maxeys are no strangers to raising
awareness of social issues. In 1996, Angela earned an audience with then-
President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office to present a “peace bomb” which,
when split in two, showered photos of Bosnian refugees. This demonstration
was broadcast around the world from the Roosevelt Room.
With fellow Michigan activists, Jim Flickinger and Robert Hiner, Jon Maxey
has delivered more than $6 million in aid to Third World nations, through a
project the trio founded called Bright Light. They personally delivered the
humanitarian aid to hospitals and refugee organizations, and never took a dime
in salary, travel or administrative expenses.
A free e-book about The International Peace Star Plan, and additional
information, can be found at http://www.thepeacestar.org
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