Beyond Earth
We are explorers. As a species, our survival is dependent on our continued exploration of the solar system. While our government will play a role as researcher and financier, it is private enterprise that will carry us beyond earth’s cradle. If we dare to dream about how our efforts will evolve, what might the Space industry look like in 2099?
In our attempt to discern an authentic future, to bridge science with science fiction, we will address political, business, social, technological and legal considerations. In this context, we will answer the following questions. What are the industry sectors that will serve the 2099 space industry? Who will be the industry titans, corporate raiders, criminals, and the scrappy, game changing startups? What will the international spaceport business look like? How will we provide economical transport out of earth’s deep gravity well? What will interplanetary travel be like? How will commercial and research activities co-exist? What will be the current and groundbreaking technologies of 2099 across nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science? As a people, how will we relate to ultra-intelligent machines and our own intelligence amplification? How will terrestrial governments govern beyond their geo-political boundaries? How will we use international treaties to support space-based trade? And how will the lawlessness of space be policed and order maintained by rule of law?