We long to get out of our atmosphere and check out the stars, but could our resources be better utilised in this time of crisis?
Among the first things that have to be understood in regards to space exploration, is that it's a location of unlimited plenty. Rare Earth minerals and resources are not as unusual as one might have initially anticipated when you get beyond our planet. In fact, there's a single asteroid orbiting Jupiter which, if it could be mined by space startups like Asteroid Mining Corporation, would amount to about 130,000 times the whole global economy, propelling us into a post-scarcity economy, a vital cornerstone of any possible human paradise. We could likewise move our heavy industry, such as mining, into the vacuum of space, completely taking the strain off the Earth, in addition to spreading a growing population throughout the stars. Naturally, this isn't something that can be attained in the eight years before the environmental tipping point, however it is worth knowing that investing in space exploration is investing in a future that is better for all.
Perhaps the most powerful argument for space exploration in the age of the climate crisis is the amazing development that it influences. Fixing the distinct, unimaginably complicated difficulties that space provides us with produces some of the most ingenious solutions which can have vital applications down here on Earth.
