The Nearly Now, January 27, 2025 — At precisely 9:11 am, PST, the California Space Agency’s first geostationary satellite, Moonbeam, was rocketed off the planet from a floating platform near the Catalina Islands. After testing, it will provide a constant stream of climatology, seismology and emergency services support data.

“Californians,” CaSA Director Sierra Jane Collins announced with a smile, “are now a space-faring people.”

Moonbeam is CaSA’s first launch, but it won’t be the last: plans for two more satellites are already in the works. These launches are part of a larger state-wide campaign to use “best in world” sensor arrays, data collection and modeling to provide comprehensive monitoring of the ecological health of the state.

Governor Michael Jimenez took the rostrum shortly after the launch to deliver some remarks. Oddly, no one seems to have paid them much attention, but I think they are the most telling comments the new Governor has yet made:

“Thank you, Director Collins, my colleagues from the Capital, and to all of you brilliant, hardworking staffers here at the California Space Agency. Thank you for inviting me to witness this important moment with you.

“You know, now that we know this bird didn’t blow up on lift-off, I get to come up here and take the credit — believe me, if it had I would’ve been out the backdoor in a flash [laughter]. No, but really: I get to make a big speech, but this is not my achievement.

“This process was begun, we all know, by our esteemed former Governor Jerry Brown — the Moonbeam, after all, is a homage to him — and was taken up by the coalition of state legislators and philanthropists that got this Agency rolling in the darkest days of the Trump years. What unbelievable damage was done to American science in that crazy time.

“This launch is a testament to Californian resistance — in the 500 days and after. We here in California went our own way. We declared that we would not collaborate with a White House bent on eroding our fundamental rights, threatening our people and undermining our future. And you know what? History has proven us right! [applause]

“We fought the Trump regime in the courts and in the streets and at the ballot box. California defended the American way of life, and we have prevailed. But I want to remind you today of what I think has really made our state truly great: we didn’t just fight back, we strode forward — despite criticism and opposition.

“When we strengthened our climate laws in 2018 — and they were already the best in America — the president himself predicted our state would spiral into economic decline. You might remember that he tweeted “Will be 10, 20 years of bear economy there. Destroying a state that used to be great! Sad!”

“If this is a bear economy, we want more of it. [laughter]We like this ‘Golden Bear Economy’: six years of best-in-the-nation growth, the lowest unemployment rate in the country, the lowest carbon intensity in our economy in all of North America… and if we keep going like this, soon the cleanest economy in the world. [applause]

“Back in 2017, when we provided the shield of state protection to immigrants we had to fight Trump’s Justice Department. But we knew it was worth it to defend the most richly cultural, diverse community of peoples to live together, maybe ever. It’s not all peace and harmony, we know — we have a long way to go to live up to our ideals of equality and justice. But things are better here than they were, and they’ll be better tomorrow, and better the day after that. We came through the greatest storm of hate our country’s seen in over a century, and we came out of it stronger and more unified.

“When we launched the state housing initiative under my predecessor, critics said that it was utopian and that it would fail but also somehow destroy our quality of life. It hasn’t failed, and in fact, 2024 was the best year of housing starts in four decades in California. We have a lot of work to do to solve our housing crisis, but we’re making progress.

“When we instituted the nation’s first large scale basic income pilot — for families with young kids — conservatives howled about socialism. But we have data now that shows the best way to raise children out of poverty is to give their families enough support to make good choices, with dignity.

“Back in 2020, when we committed to being 100% powered by clean energy by 2030, folks Back East had a lot of fun making jokes about our state’s legal — and I should say as Governor, very high quality — marijuana. Y’know, pipe dreams and all that.

“They’re not laughing so loud now, because California has spent the last seven years inventing the economy of the future: not just better solar and wind power, cheaper batteries, electric autonomous vehicles, but also the highest green building standards in the world, machine learning for energy efficiency, the new farmtech startups, clean custom manufacturing, better forestry. We’re moving fast. All across this great State we’re seeing changes in how we make and build things on a pace more like tech than 20th century industry.

“I see a lot of young faces in this audience. None of this would have been possible without tax reform, pension reform, budget rationalization; and that wouldn’t have been possible without young people. California’s success is the success of the future in the voting booth. Keep voting! Stay active! Participate!

“Because we’ve righted the State’s finances, we can invest in needed change. Our Space Agency is just one example. The data coming from Moonbeam will keep every Californian safer and make every dollar we spend better informed. We did this faster, cheaper and better than any launch before, and when you pencil it out, the taxpayers got an amazing deal. Science pays. [applause]

“Our next launch, in 2028, will be the satellite Loving Grace. You all know it got its name from a poem by the great West Coast beat poet, Richard Brautigan. Now, I’m not known as much of a poetry guy, but I’d like to read this poem for you, because it’s short, and it will impress my wife:

I like to think (and

the sooner the better!)

of a cybernetic meadow

where mammals and computers

live together in mutually

programming harmony

like pure water

touching clear sky.



I like to think

(right now, please!)

of a cybernetic forest

filled with pines and electronics

where deer stroll peacefully

past computers

as if they were flowers

with spinning blossoms.



I like to think

(it has to be!)

of a cybernetic ecology

where we are free of our labors

and joined back to nature,

returned to our mammal

brothers and sisters,

and all watched over

by machines of loving grace. [applause]

“When Loving Grace is flying through the skies, we here in California will show that we’re part of the global effort to watch over our planet in this time of crisis, and to look ahead to a world we want to hand down to our children. Our technology, our openness and our ecological values make us unique in the world, and we’ll show that.

“The cynics and nihilists out there like to say these days that it’s too late, game over, just give up. That we’re all screwed. That it would take heroic efforts to bring our planet back from the brink.

“Today, we showed that California is not shrinking away to await a horrible fate. If humanity needs a heroic future, that’s what we’ll invent, design, engineer, build and launch a heroic future! [applause]

“What you did today is heroic and plays a key part of something even larger and more heroic. The world thanks you. Your state thanks you. I thank you.

“It’s been my honor to speak with you today. Thank you and God bless.”