Space activities have influenced, and are influencing, society in many fields: political, military, economic, social and medical, to name a few. The world is undoubtedly a more comfortable, prosperous and healthy place as a result of developments driven by the exploration and utilization of space. Whether it is a safer place in the military and political sense is not so clear – but that outcome can hardly be attributed to space.
Rather than look back, I would prefer to contemplate what space activities might contribute in the future. There is reason to anticipate that future developments from and using space might add to the human condition in many fields.
Examples include:
* the provision of health and medical
* the empowerment of disadvantaged communities for economic and social progress,
* understanding global environmental change and implementing appropriate strategies,
* developing new sources for base load energy requirements,
* reducing international political and military tensions, and
* enabling a better-coordinated response by the international community to regional conflicts.
Doubtless there are many more.
Although enormous sums are today being invested by governments in space development, the amounts being directed to objectives such as these are relatively minor. A primary reason why objectives such as I have listed are falling short is, in my opinion, that the space development agendas of most countries are not focussed on such objectives. They are incidental, rather than central.
Yet if we look back to the 1950s and 1960s, there was a tight nexus between the most generous years of public funding for space development, and objectives for that development that were focussed on the political agenda of the day.
My hope therefore is that the focus of civil space development will be returned to more of the pressing issues of national and international politics at the start of the 21st century. I firmly believe that governments will again prove themselves generous, once they can be convinced that space activities are prepared and capable of contributing to the solution of those issues.
Dr.
Bruce
Stanley
Middleton
Managing Director (Retired)
Asia Pacific Aerospace Consultants Pty Ltd
Professional Category:
Business
|
|
