Humanity is doomed without space
Six ways that space exploration could save us
I’m feeling left out.
Space Symposium is going on this week in the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.
And I’m not there.
Cue FOMO.
What’s Space Symposium?
Oh, it’s only one of the premier space-focused events of the year.
Space Symposium attendees consistently represent all sectors of the space community from multiple spacefaring nations; space agencies; commercial space businesses and associated subcontractors; military, national security and intelligence organizations; cyber security organizations; federal and state government agencies and organizations; research and development facilities; think tanks; educational institutions; space entrepreneurs and private space exploration and commercial space travel providers; space commerce businesses engaged in adapting, manufacturing or selling space technologies for commercial use and media that inspire and educate the general public about space.
Bringing all these groups together in one place provides a unique opportunity to examine space issues from multiple perspectives, to promote dialog and to focus attention on critical space issues.
So, yeah, it’s a great place to be if you’re interested in space.
Since I’m not there, I thought I would write a space-focused edition in solidarity.
And I’m going to start with a very bold statement:
Humanity’s future relies on our exploration, settlement, and utilization of resources from space.
Was that bold enough?
No?
Let’s try again.
Humanity’s future relies on our exploration, settlement, and utilization of resources from space.
That’s better.
Now, let’s get to why I’m claiming this.
There are, of course, a multitude of reasons, some of which include the following:
Resource utilization: As the world's population continues to grow, resources on Earth are becoming increasingly scarce. Make no doubt, there will be more wars over these resources, unless we find new sources. Space offers nearly unlimited minerals and water resources; we just need to figure out how to harvest, refine, process, and transport them efficiently.
Climate change: Space-based solar power provides a promise of clean, nearly unlimited energy for use on earth. Development of SBSP could fundamentally shift our carbon footprint and allow us to undo some of the significant damage we’ve already created.
Planetary defense: Asteroids and other space debris pose a significant threat to life on Earth. We’ve already seen mass extinction events resulting from asteroids—one of the largest being the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, about 66 million years ago, that wiped out 75% of life on earth, resulting from a large asteroid hitting Mexico. There really is no guarantee that humans would survive such a mass extinction event. Developing technologies to detect and deflect these objects could help protect the planet from catastrophic impact events.
Scientific discovery: Space exploration allows us to learn more about the universe and our place in it. Advancements in technology and knowledge gained from space exploration could have wide-ranging benefits for humanity.
Colonization: Establishing colonies on other planets or in space habitats could provide a means for humanity to expand beyond Earth and potentially survive catastrophic events that could threaten life on our planet.
The Economy: The increase in resources that we will gain from space may mitigate some of the current problems resulting from our debt-based systems of economies.
There’s one more thing I have to mention about why we should be turning our attention to the heavens.
Space is just plain cool.
Space has always captured our attention.
That’s why the ancients spent so much time trying to understand it.
That’s why Neil Armstrong’s televised first steps on the moon defined a generation.
And it’s why when I was a second grader, I organized half my class into a research team to learn and write about space.
Of course,, it's important to remember that our relationship with outer space remains in the early stages and we face many challenges, including technological limitations, high costs, and potential ethical concerns.
It's also important to balance space exploration and colonization efforts with addressing pressing issues on Earth, such as climate change and social inequalities.
Nonetheless, the potential benefits of space exploration and colonization could have a positive impact on the future of humanity.
What about space excites you the most? Drop a comment and let us know!
Ad astra! To the stars!
Keep building!
Andrew
😐