SPACE
:
THE FINAL FRONTIER
The need to explore new frontiers like the Arctic and the
American West may have been sparked by curiosity, but a major
reason was to discover new resources.
Without new resources and
technology, the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century would not
have led to the rise of new industries and the growth of cities.
In the
late 20th century, the Information Technology Revolution connected
the world and transformed economies.
Now, it seems that space is the
latest frontier for entrepreneurs to explore.
Finding new resources
and exploring the unique environment are new opportunities for
those who dare to take up the challenge.
Asteroid Mining
The solar system is composed of many rocks floating in
space.
The large ones are called planets, and the smaller ones are
called asteroids.
Research has shown that asteroids contain valuable
resources like gold and rare earth elements.
For example, one
asteroid, 16 Psyche, is reported to consist mainly of gold and other
precious metals, whose value is equal to billions of dollars per person
on Earth.
From a space explorers’ perspective, however, the most
valuable resources from asteroids are neither valuable precious
metals nor rare mineral deposits.
That valuable resource could
actually be water, and it seems to have been overlooked because it
doesn’t seem as exciting as gold.
Water is expensive to transport into
space due to its weight and volume.
Having a space station with
sufficient water supplies in orbit around Earth would make space
explorations much easier.
No one knows for sure what asteroid mining will look like,
but it seems that robotic mining is most likely.
Robots will be sent to
dig for target materials and send them back towards Earth.
They will
be programmed to explore the surface and identify materials, and be
equipped for tasks such as drilling, collecting, and transporting.
They may work independently or be controlled remotely from Earth.
Unfortunately, these types of robots have yet to be developed since
the technology is still young.
As technology continues to develop,
better methods for obtaining materials will undoubtedly emerge.
Off-Earth Manufacturing
Being on the International Space Station (ISS) is a unique
experience.
Astronauts live and work in microgravity, floating
around instead of walking.
Researchers get to see Earth from a
completely new perspective, and they get to work on important
scientific research in conditions that are different from Earth’s.
Many
manufacturers are interested in manufacturing in space because the
quality of a lot of products manufactured on Earth is influenced by
temperature, pressure, radiation, and even the effects of gravity.
Creating good conditions for certain types of manufacturing
on Earth requires the use of a lot of energy and resources, but those
conditions occur naturally in space.
Drugs, beauty and food
products, and advanced materials are all potential candidates to be
tested and produced in space.
For example, without the effects of
gravity, products that require a uniform quality like cosmetics would
be easier to mix.
Other materials like 3D printed skin or muscle
benefit from low pressure and gravity too.
Although the sun’s
radiation can be unhealthy for our skin, getting away from the
protective effects of the atmosphere could also benefit the testing of
products.
For example, fabrics and skin creams could be tested
for their ability to protect against solar radiation.
Also,
semiconductors and glass communication cables could be
produced with higher purity and fewer faults.
Space technology has advanced greatly, and it seems that
the cost of running a space program and improving it has
decreased substantially since ambitious entrepreneurs have joined
the adventure.
The conditions in space open up the possibility of
manufacturing newer and better products.
Challenges remain, but
it’s not unreasonable to imagine sending a message from a device
equipped with semiconductors that were produced in space.
The
space project will ultimately reach a point where adventurous
minds and their technological innovations will be able to travel
safely to stars beyond the solar system.
The resources required to
drive economic activity that have existed far beyond the reach
of humanity are becoming much more reachable.
The
question is no longer about how;
it’s about when.