This book provides answers to the questions of why human-kind should go into space, and on the relative roles of governments and markets in the evolution of the space economy. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach to answer those questions. Science and technology define the boundaries of what is possible. The realization of the possible depends on economic, institutional, and political factors. The book thus draws from many different academic areas such as physical science, astronomy, astronautics, political science, economics, sociology, cultural studies, and history.
In the literature, the space economy has been analyzed using different approaches from science and technology to the effects of public expenditures on economic growth and to medium term effects on productivity and growth. This book brings all these aspects together following the evolutionary theory of economic change. It studies processes that transform the economy through the interactions among diverse economic agents, governments, and the extra-systemic environment in which governments operate. Its historical part helps to better understand motivations and constraints - technical, political, and economical - that shaped the growth of the space economy. In the medium term, global issues - such as population changes, critical or limited natural resources, and environmental damages - and technological innovations are the main drivers for the evolution of the space economy beyond Earth orbit.
In universities, this book can be used: as a reference by historians of astronautics; for researchers in the field of astronautics, international political economy, and legal issues related to the space economy. In think tanks and public institutions, both national and international, this book provides an input to the ongoing debate on the collaboration among space agencies and the role of private companies in the development of the space economy. Finally, this book will help the educated general public to orient himself in the forest of stimuli, news, and solicitations to which he is daily subjected by the media, television and radio, and to react in less passive ways to those stimuli.
List of Figures
List of Tables
Acronyms
Forward
Introduction
Chapter 1 The invention stage
1.1 K. E. Tsiolkovsky
1.2 R. H. Goddard
1.3 H. J. Oberth
1.4 P. Korolev and W. von Braun
1.4.1 The Soviet Union: Sergei Pavlovich Korolev
1.4.2 Germany: Wernher von Braun.
1.5 Obstacles to change
1.5.1 The United States
1.5.2 The Soviet Union
1.5.3 Germany
1.6 Lessons from history
Appendix - The Rocket Equation
Bibliography
Chapter 2 The dawn of the space economy, 1950-1970: the innovation process stage
2.1 Military programs
2.2 The space programs
2.2.1 The Moon project
2.2.2 The government satellites programs
2.3 The dawn of commercial satellite activities
2.4 The political economy of the space age during the 1950s and the 1960s
Appendix - Von Braun Mars mission: the missed opportunity
Bibliography
Chapter 3 The space economy between 1970 and today: the diffusion stage
3.1 The commercial space sector
3.1.1 The commercial space service sector
3.1.2 The commercial space infrastructure and support industries
3.1.3 Recent policies changes
3.1.4 Launching industrys developments
3.2 Public administrations engaged in space activities
3.2.1 Space agencies
3.2.2 Activities of space agencies
3.3 International collaboration
3.3.1 International space institutions
3.3.2 Joint institutional space programs
3.4 Impacts on the world economy
3.4.1 Cost/efficiency gains
3.4.2 Economic impact of space exploration
3.5 New private space initiatives
3.6 The political economy of the old space age
Bibliography
Chapter 4 The political economy of the new space age
4.1 Why governments should dedicate significant public resources to going into space
4.1.1 Economic benefits
4.1.2 Political benefits
4.2 Whether present institutions are adequate to the uses of space resources
4.2.1 The United States
4.2.2 Europe
4.2.3 China
4.2.4 Japan
4.2.5 Russia
4.2.6 India
4.2.7 The prospects of international collaboration in space
4.3 International legal framework
4.4 Conclusion
Bibliography
Chapter 5 The space economy beyond Earth orbit: space mining
5.1 Low costs of accessing space
5.2 Space agencies programs
5.3 Global problems
5.4 The Moons mineral resources
5.5 The asteroids mineral resources.
5.6 Concepts of mining and processing
5.7 The economics of space mining
5.7.1 1n-Space as a reference market
5.7.2 Earth as a reference market
5.8 Conclusions
Appendix - Technical Note
Bibliography
Chapter 6 The development of the space economy beyond Earth orbit: Mars
6.1 The construction of a permanent base on Mars and its sustainability.
6.1.1 Mars physical characteristics
6.1.2 Technical feasibility
6.1.3 The sustainability of the Mars base.
6.2 Human exploration of Mars
6.2.1 Propulsion
6.2.2 Trajectories
6.2.3 Shielding of cosmic radiation
6.2.4 Descent/ascent vehicles
6.2.5 Landing site
6.2.6 The Mars outpost base camp and logistics
6.3 Conclusions
Bibliography
Chapter 7 The ultimate challenge: the exploration and colonization of extrasolar planets.
7.1 How to go there: Einstein and the special relativity theory
7.2 The search for extrasolar planets capable of sustaining life
7.2.1 Methods to detect an extrasolar planet capable of sustaining life
7.2.2 Where antimatter propulsion will bring humanity
7.3 The exploratory and colonizing missions
7.3.1 Motivations for human missions
7.4 Overcoming the limits imposed by special relativity: myth or reality?
Bibliography
Chapter 8 Final Remarks
Bibliography
Index
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