Fisher Smith

By Fisher Smith, NSS Legal Fellow

Why should we spend the money, effort and time focusing on outer space exploration and development? After all, it’s a very expensive process to get resources, people and infrastructure into space. Wouldn’t that money be better spent elsewhere? As it turns out the money and time we spend developing outer space can create substantial benefits for our terrestrial world, benefits that we can’t get here on Earth, and I believe that will more than offset the cost of space development.

The world we live in is shaped by a number of forces. In the last few decades, we’ve become more technologically advanced through the advent of computer technology, and that technology has become the basis of our interactions with society (especially so during COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantines). As technology advances, the materials (such as rare-earth elements) that we need to build and maintain that technology become more heavily used. Tensions between the major political powers on the Earth continue to rise as competition over these resources, namely energy-generating resources and rare minerals, continue to shape international conflict. Each of these areas shape our world, and each presents a problem. In many ways, they each share a solution: expansion into outer space.

We can solve the problem of limited resources connected to our technological advances by sourcing materials from beyond the Earth. Our planet is formed from the same stellar material as every other celestial body in our solar system. That means that many of the same resources found here on Earth can be found elsewhere in the solar system, in some cases in far richer ores. The National Space Society (NSS) notes that near-Earth asteroids are prime targets for resource mining efforts. From these asteroids, we can recover and transport the raw materials we require on Earth; and we can refine them in space too. By obtaining and then processing resources in outer space, we could almost completely remove the environmental impact of such activities on the planet we live on. Not only would outer space development ensure that supplies of vital minerals continue, but it would also correct some of the environmental strain caused by humanity on our planet.

The above discussion demonstrates outer space’s potential to ameliorate international political strife caused by energy and mineral resource scarcity. The goal of a government is to protect the interests of itself and its citizens. As nations accumulate power and resources, they use them to gain more power, resources and stability. As more nations seek access to the same, limited resources, conflicts arise. Outer space provides an outlet for these interests. If we turn our attention to space, we can secure access to potentially infinite resources.

NSS suggests that geosynchronous orbit can house solar stations capable of capturing immense amounts of the sun’s thermal energy. This can supply a significant part of the energy requirements of the globe, if we can find an economically viable means to get it to Earth. Alternatively, such ample energy could power spaceships or other outer space infrastructure to enable growth and expansion in space.

As for transportation on Earth, the advent of electric engines and more efficient batteries could provide the turning point away from gasoline, but resources to develop and mass produce electric vehicles are hard to find on Earth. By utilizing the resources available in the near-Earth asteroids, production of electric vehicles can increase dramatically, thereby reducing the need for oil in the transportation infrastructures of nations across the globe. Not only can outer space make our world cleaner and ensure that life on our planet continues to function, but it can also make the world a safer, more cooperative place.

I asked “Why should we go to space?” and the answer is that by turning to space we can make the Earth change and improve for the better. In short, by supporting human expansion into outer space, we will be supporting life here on Earth. Learn more about how we can successfully and sustainably harness the resources of space to support our lives on Earth in the NSS Position Paper on U.S. Development and Settlement of the Moon and Near Earth Asteroids.

==================

About NSS Legal Fellow Fisher Smith

Fisher Smith is a second year law student at the University of Mississippi where he is currently part of the Space Law concentration program. Additionally, he is part of the Ole Miss Trial Advocacy Board and a junior staff editor on the Air and Space Law Journal at the university. Since he was a child, Fisher has always been interested in science and outer space. Whether the thrilling adventures of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, the exploration of the cosmos by Captain Kirk in Star Trek, or the boundless possibilities created in Isaac Asimov’s stories, outer space has been a world of wonder for Fisher. Throughout his undergraduate studies at Rhodes College, Fisher focused his Political Science and International Studies interests towards outer space policies. These research interests showed him that by cooperating as a multinational community, humanity can harness outer space to improve conditions here on Earth. This interest in outer space possibilities led him to the Air and Space Law Society at Ole Miss, and he hopes to use these motivations to aid the NSS mission.

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
National Space Society

National Space Society

3 thoughts on “To Space—to Save the Earth”

  1. I read Jerry Pournelle’s book “A Step Farther Out” several decades ago, and I was excited about the possibilities of the space program. I re-read it a couple of years ago, and it left me disappointed at the lost opportunities. The successes of the private space enterprises, such as SpaceX, are making me hopeful that ideas such as yours and Pournelle’s come to fruition.

    Reply
  2. Fisher Smith is not thinking big enough: The goal is to create a thriving interplanetary civilization, and that requires exponential growth, not limited to terrestrial needs. In a few centuries, there will be more people living off Earth than on it. (If this seems improbable, consider what the Pilgrims stepping ashore at Plymouth Rock in 1620 would think of America in 2020.)

    An example of what is possible: The asteroid 16 Psyche could supply the present annual production of steel on Earth for 10 million years, or enough to build O’Neill space habitats for a million times the present world population.

    Reply
  3. I think all of this is part of the bigger plan. There is no question that Earth needs to develop resources in space. Whether we inhabit other planets or build O’Neill Habitats, these must be done in space and these are the early steps to get it done. I think we need to make sure that developing nations get an opportunity to share in this development in some manner. It’s very exciting and I hope we don’t screw it up.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Search
Categories
future 1

Don't Miss a Beat!

Be the first to know when new articles are posted!

Follow Us On Social Media

JOIN THE
GREATEST ADVENTURE

Give The Gift Of Space: Membership For Friends and Family

Book Review

Archives

ISDC 2024:
A NEW SPACE AGE

International Space Development Conference May 23rd-26th, 2024

FEATURED BLOG

Image of Kalpana One space settlement courtesy Bryan Versteeg, spacehabs.com $32,000 in Cash Awards Given for Best Space-Related Business Plans — Deadline March 1, 2024

Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: John J. Vester Title: Nuclear Rockets: To the Moon and Mars Author: Manfred “Dutch” von Ehrenfried Format: Paperback/Kindle Pages: 270 Publisher:

Partially Successful Flight Reached Space and Demonstrated New “Hot Staging” System The National Space Society congratulates SpaceX on the second test of its Starship/Super Heavy

Ad Astra, the NSS quarterly print, digital, and audio magazine, has won a 2023 MARCOM Gold Award. The awards are given yearly for “Excellence in

By Jennifer Muntz, NSS Member Coordinator On October 10th, an inspiring breakfast event took flight at the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space

By Grant Henriksen NSS Policy Committee Benefit sharing is a concept that refers to the distribution of benefits derived from the exploration and use of

People residing and working in space, space settlements, or on long-duration space flights will need to produce infrastructures and food to maintain healthy lifestyles. The

Image: Artist’s concept of the Blue Moon lander. Credit: Blue Origin. Second Human Landing System Contract Encourages Competition and Innovation The National Space Society congratulates