The Space Option Initiative …
In the second decade of this new millennium humanity is being confronted by the consequences of its success as the dominant species on planet Earth. As its numbers increase as never before, its home planet has begun to experience the effects of its overwhelming occupation: environmental degradation, resource depletion, resource wars, a loss of bio-diversity and unsound climatic experimentation. Every day the news is packed with alarming new statistics and dire predictions. Our civilization appears to be constantly approaching a state of chaos.
The alarm has been sounded and scientists, environmentalists and politicians are propagating a variety of “Down to Earth” prescriptions to meet these impending crises in an effort to restrain and reform humanity’s careless ways. Their solutions for humanity are generally stated as: learning to live within our means, curbing our insatiable appetite for consuming resources, regulating economic and technological progress before these lead to further environmental problems, controlling the birthrate, and suggesting that the richer countries not only reduce their demands for more resources, but also that they share their existing wealth with the less affluent nations.
As sensible and practical as some of these prescriptions may sound, and as necessary as some of them may be in some cases, taken to their conclusion many of them go against human nature by requiring people to accept a lower standard of living by denying them of any hope for a better future. Now that democracy and a free market economy appear to have become the political standard for joining the global community of nations, the accompanying standard of living is expected as a reward for doing so. Taking away the possibility for a better life just as masses of people have glimpsed that they may be on the threshold of prosperity is a prescription for further catastrophe. Is this the price of success?
Unfortunately, planet Earth, once assumed to be the entire universe (and still is by many), is indeed finite. It has become obvious that its livable area as well as its available resources cannot perpetually sustain the current lifestyle of the present 7.5 billion people let alone the needs of almost twice this number of people which is expected within the next 50 years. Thus, the only real “Down to Earth” solutions which may have the desired effect are: retreating from an energy intensive market economy, reducing the present quality of life for everyone, and/or radically reducing the world’s current population in the most efficient (and horrible) way. Neither option is very optimistic nor desirable.
However, there is another option to these dismal predictions about the future. Called The Space Option, it takes into account human nature and still offers an optimistic approach to meeting humanity’s needs. It is an option that also appeals strongly to the human spirit by offering a creative approach to solving many of our impending problems.
As pointed out by space pioneer Krafft Ehricke:
“While civilization is more than a high material living standard, it is nevertheless based on material abundance. It does not thrive on abject poverty or in an atmosphere of resignation and hopelessness. It needs vigor as well as vision. Therefore the end objectives of solar system exploration are social objectives in the sense that they relate to, or are dictated by, present and future human needs.”
The Space Option is an elaboration of these arguments that leads to the formulation of an evolutionary plan to meet the basic and anticipated needs of humanity through the utilization of near Earth resources – especially that of energy from space. The implementation of the Space Option not only contributes to the restoration of the global environment by its reliance on unlimited, clean space solar energy to maintain and stimulate the global economy, but by also offering future generations a sufficient supply of material resources. Thus, the Space Option provides hope for the less fortunate societies on the planet to aspire to reaching a living standard substantially beyond their present situation – an approach to the future that none of the current scenarios for “sustainable development” realistically provide for.
As such, the Space Option could and should become the primary motivation for continued space exploration and development – perhaps even becoming a more powerful driver for space activities than national prestige and scientific exploration have been. If implemented in time and with sufficient commitment, the ultimate reward would be a prosperous and dynamic planetary civilization living in a healthy environment and the creation of an infrastructure in space upon which the expansion of the human species throughout the solar system and beyond could be realistically anticipated.
In the words of visionary Arthur C. Clarke:
“The challenge of the great spaces between the worlds is a stupendous one, but if we fail to meet it, the story of our race will be drawing to a close. Humanity will have turned its back upon the still untrodden heights and will be descending again the long slope that stretches, across a thousand million years of time, down to the shores of the primeval sea.”
Among others, Peter Glaser, speaking about developing extraterrestrial energy resources adds the perspective of urgency to the issue:
“There is a window of opportunity that may, perhaps, be open only for a few decades, before the global challenges humanity faces overwhelm us.”
Or more concisely stated by space technologist Mark Hempsell:
“We face the choice of the type of future that we leave to posterity; a stone age or a space age.”
Thus, as the elaboration, dissemination and implementation of the Space Option is so important and so urgent to the future of humanity, not to mention to Astronautics, immediate and vigorous steps should be undertaken :
- to create a consensus within the space community for a new rationale for Astronautics based on the principles of The Space Option,
- to create a body of solid social, environmental and political arguments for the implementation of The Space Option in the time frame necessary for it to be effective,
- to utilize every means and resource available to the astronautical community for the immediate dissemination of The Space Option to the global public and its leaders.