We at HOH have uncovered a bill, introduced in 1981, by former Speaker and current space visionary Newt Gingrich wherein he lays out the Government of Space. You’re welcome, Earth.

H.R. 4286, cleverly titled National Space and Aeronautics Policy Act of 1981, reveals that the current Republican presidential candidate has long been preoccupied with the plight of our nation’s space program.

“In recent years, the Nation’s civilian space program has suffered for its lack of an open-ended series of connected long range goals,” the bill states. “An appropriate first step would be the design, development, and construction of a permanent, manned, multipurpose space operations center in low Earth orbit.”

In other words, people: PRE-MOON BASE!

Gingrich’s big dream was that by 2010 the United States would have a moon base or some such stuff.

More importantly, however, he describes just how the Government of Space would work:

• Constitutional Protections: “All persons residing in any community in space organized under … the United States shall be entitled to the protection of the Constitution….” Um, phew.
• Self-Government: “Whenever such community shall have acquired twenty thousand inhabitants … they shall receive from Congress authority with appointment … to establish a permanent constitution and government for themselves.” Space country!
• Admission to Statehood, aka Why All of D.C. Should Consider Moving to Space: “Whenever any such community shall have as many inhabitants as shall be in the least numerous of the United States [looking at you, Wyoming] such a community shall be admitted as a State into the Congress of the United States on an equal footing with the original States.”