Benefits Stemming From Space Exploration

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BenefitsStemmingfrom

SpaceExploration

September 2013

International Space Exploration

Coordination Group

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ISECG–BenefitsStemmingfromSpaceExploration

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Table of Content

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Exe

cutiveSummary.......................................................................................................................................1

1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................3

2. FundamentalBenefitsofSpaceExploration.........................................................................................5

2.1. Innovation.....................................................................................................................................7

AdvancesinScienceandTechnology....................................................................................................8

GlobalTechnicalWorkforceDevelopment...........................................................................................9

EnlargedEconomicSphere.................................................................................................................10

2.2. CultureandInspiration...............................................................................................................11

2.3. NewMeanstoAddressGlobalChallenges.................................................................................12

3. ExpectedBenefitsfromExplorationMissionsintheNextTenYears.................................................15

3.1. Innovation...................................................................................................................................15

3.2. CultureandInspiration...............................................................................................................19

3.3. NewMeanstoAddressGlobalChallenges.................................................................................20

4. Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................21

ImageCredits..............................................................................................................................................22

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Executive Summary

Morethanfifty yearsofhumanactivityinspacehaveproducedsocietalbenefitsthatimprove

the quality of life on Earth. The first satellites, designed to study the space environment and 

test initial capabilities in Earth orbit, contributed critical knowledge and capabilities for

developing satellite telecommunications, global positioning, and advances in weather

forecasting. Space exploration initiated the economic development of space that today, year

after year, delivers high returns for invested funds in space

. The challenges of space

exploration have sparked new scientific and technological knowledge of inherent value to

humankind,leadingtobetterunderstandingofourUniverseandthesolarsysteminwhichwe

live. Knowledge, coupled with ingenuity,  provides people around the globe with solutions as

well as useful products and services. Knowledge acquired from space exploration has also

introducednewperspectivesonourindividualandcollectiveplaceintheUniverse.

FuturespaceexplorationgoalscallforsendinghumansandrobotsbeyondLowEarthOrbitand

establishing sustained access to destinations such as the Moon, asteroids and Mars. Space

agencies participating in the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG)

 are

discussing an international approach for achieving these goals, documented in ISECG's Global

Exploration Roadmap

. That approach begins with the International Space Station (ISS), and

leadstohumanmissionstothesurfaceofMars.

Employing the complementary capabilities of both humans and robotic systems will  enable

humankindtomeetthis most ambitiousspaceexplorationchallenge,and toincreasebenefits

forsociety.Thesebenefitscanbecategorizedintothreefundamentalareas:innovation;culture

andinspiration;andnewmeanstoaddressglobalchallenges.

Innovation. There are numerous cases of societal benefits linked to new knowledge and

technologyfromspaceexploration.Spaceexplorationhascontributedtomanydiverseaspects

ofeverydaylife,fromsolarpanelstoimplantableheartmonitors,fromcancertherapytolight‐

weightmaterials,andfromwater‐purificationsystemstoimprovedcomputingsystemsandtoa

globalsearch‐and‐rescuesystem

.Achievingtheambitiousfutureexplorationgoalsasoutlined

abovewillfurtherexpandtheeconomicrelevanceofspace.Spaceexplorationwillcontinueto

beanessentialdriverforopeningupnewdomainsinscienceandtechnology,triggeringother

sectors to partner with the space sector for joint research and development. This will  return

immediate benefits back to Earth in areas such as materials, power generation and energy



OECDHandbookonMeasuringtheSpaceEconomy,March2012.

ISECGspaceagenciesinclude,inalphabeticalorder:ASI(Italy),CNES(France),CNSA(China),CSA(Canada),CSIRO

(Australia),DLR(Germany),ESA(Europe),ISRO(India),JAXA(Japan),KARI(RepublicofKorea),NASA(UnitedStates

ofAmerica),NSAU(Ukraine),Roscosmos(Russia),UKSA(UnitedKingdom).

TheGlobalExplorationRoadmapcanbedownloadedatwww.globalspaceexploration.org

 Spinoff materials published by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (e.g. Spinoff database,

spinoff.nasa.gov/spinoff/database;Spinoff2012,spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2012);

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storage, recycling and waste management, advanced robotics, health and medicine,

transportation, engineering, computing and software. Furthermore, innovations required for

space exploration, such as those related to miniaturisation, will drive improvements in other

space systems and services resulting in higherperformance and lower cost. These will in turn

result in better services on Earth and better return of investment in institutional and

commercialspaceactivities.Inaddition,theexcitementgeneratedbyspaceexplorationattracts

youngpeopletocareersinscience,technology,engineeringandmathematics,helpingtobuild

globalcapacityforscientificandtechnologicalinnovation.

Culture and Inspiration. Space exploration offers a unique and evolving perspective on

humanity'splaceintheUniverse,whichiscommontoall.Everyday,spaceexplorationmissions

fulfill people's curiosity, producing fresh data about the solar system that brings us closer to

answering profound questions that have been asked for millennia: What is the nature of the

Universe?IsthedestinyofhumankindboundtoEarth?Areweandourplanetunique?Isthere

lifeelsewhereintheUniverse?

New Means  to Address Global Challenges. Partnerships and capabilities developed through

spaceexplorationcreatenewopportunitiesforaddressingglobalchallenges.Spaceexploration

is a global endeavour contributing to trust and diplomacy between nations. Enhanced global

partnerships and exploration capabilities may help advance international preparedness for

protecting the Earth from catastrophic events such as some asteroid strikes, advancing

collaborative research on space weather and protecting spacecraft by developing new means

for space debris removal. Knowledge derived from space exploration may also contribute to

implementingpoliciesforenvironmentallysustainabledevelopment.

In summary, space scientists and engineers who overcame past challenges could not have

predicted all the ways in which their innovations are now being used on Earth. Though the

precise nature of future benefits from space exploration is unpredictable, current trends

suggestthatsignificantbenefits may be generatedinareassuch asnewmaterials,health and

medicine, transportation, and computer technology. New opportunities for job creation and

economic growth are being created by private enterprises that are increasingly investing in

space exploration and seeking ways to make space exploration more affordable and reliable,

andthus,moresustainableandprofitable.

ThereisnoactivityonEarththatmatchestheuniquechallengesofspaceexploration.Thefirst

fiftyyearsofspaceactivityhavegeneratedbenefitsforpeoplearoundtheglobe.Thispast

recordgivesstrongreasonforconfidencethatrenewedinvestmentsinspaceexplorationwill

havesimilarlypositiveimpactsforfuturegenerations.

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1. Introduction

For more than fifty years, humans have explored space, and this has produced a continuing

flowofsocietalbenefits.Byitsverynature,spaceexplorationexpandstheenvelopeofhuman

knowledgeandpresencethroughoutthesolarsystem,andthisprocesshasbeenacceleratedby

a combination of human and robotic activities. Experience has demonstrated that, as long as 

humankind addresses the challenges of exploring mankind’s common frontier of space, many

tangiblesocietalbenefitsareproduced,andinadditiontothosemostcommonlyanticipated,a

great variety of valuable innovations are generated serendipitously, for this is the nature of

discovery.

Fromtheearlydaysofspace flight,itbecameapparentthatspaceexplorationwasanefficient

driver for basic science and technology.The new challenges called for new approaches. The

cost of launches drove designers to make spacecraft computers lighter, smaller and with the

highest performance and dependability. Solar cells, batteries and fuel cells were driven by

space needsandbenefittedmany sectors on Earth

.The first satellites, designedtostudy the

spaceenvironmentandtestinitialcapabilitiesinEarthorbit,contributedcriticalknowledgefor

developingspace telecommunications,globalpositioning,andadvancesinweatherforecasting.

Theearlymissionsalsoformedthetechnologicalbasisforadvancedspaceexploration,enabling

the first robotic  and human missions to the Moon, as well as highly capable planetary

spacecraftandcrewedspacestationsinorbit.

Over time, governments around the world increasingly cooperated to conduct complex space

missions,demonstratingthepowerofinternationalpartnershipstoamplifyaccomplishmentsin 

space.

The success has been impressive and space systems continue to drive innovation, support

world‐classscience,providevitalservices,andarepartofthedailylifeofthecommoncitizen.

Service‐drivenspace systemsaretheoverwhelmingpartofspaceactivitytoday

.Furthermore,

the legacy of these historical efforts to develop sophisticated and useful capabilities and

partnerships is evident in today's exploration programmes such as the International Space

Station(ISS), whichcontinues tocontribute  significantbenefitstohumanity

.The ISSsupports



 Technology initiated by Space Exploration is often today driven by terrestrial mass market sectors.The space

sector can then spin‐in such technologies in effective ways. Renewed investments in achieving the ambitious

futureexplorationgoalspromisetoincreasetheinnovationfactorofspaceexploration.



E.g.outofthe67flightsofAriane5betweenJanuary2000andJuly2013,59launches(88%)werecommercial.



"InternationalSpaceStationBenefitsforHumanity",Ed.J.Robinson,developedbymembersoftheCanadian

SpaceAgency(CSA),EuropeanSpaceAgency(ESA),JapanAerospaceExplorationAgency(JAXA),National

AeronauticsandSpaceAdministration(NASA),andRussianFederalSpaceAgency(Roscosmos),2012.Accessedat

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/626862main_ISS_Benefit_for_Humanity.pdf.



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investigations in life and physical sciences, as well as advancing research and technology to

solveproblems associatedwithlong‐duration human spaceflightthathavemanyapplications

ontheground.

Future space exploration goals call for sending humans and robots beyond Low Earth Orbit

(LEO) and establishing sustained access to space exploration destinations such as the Moon,

asteroids and Mars. Space agencies participating in the International Space Exploration

CoordinationGroup(ISECG)

8

arediscussinganinternational approachforachievingthesegoals,

documented in ISECG's Global Exploration Roadmap

, that begins with the ISS and advances

coordinatedhumanandroboticexploration,leading,amongstotherthings,tohumanmissions

onthesurfaceofMars.

Achievingtheseambitiousexploration goalsrequires researchers tosurmountnewchallenges

and develop coordinated human and robotic exploration capabilities. As has been

demonstrated in the past, deploying the unique and complementary capabilities of both

humans and robotic space systems is not only  essential for solar system exploration, but also

promisestoexpandmanybenefitsprovidedtopeopleonEarth.

Whileearlyspacescientistsandengineersexpectedthatspaceexplorationwouldhavepositive

impactsonhumanity,theycouldnothaveforeseenallthespecificsocialandeconomicbenefits

thathaveflowedfromtheirwork.Sotoo,thecurrentgenerationcannotpredictindetailwhat

benefits will eventually appear as a result of its efforts The unforeseen positive resultsof the

past five decades indicate the great potential for space exploration to continue producing a

wide range of applications and knowledge which will expand the space‐based economy even

further.

This paper, a collective effort by representatives of space agencies participating in ISECG,

articulates a shared perspective on the nature and significance of the benefits of space

explorationprogrammes,andonthepotentialforthefuturedeliveryofbenefits.Itsummarizes

the fundamental benefits to humanity (Chapter 2) which could arise as space agencies

collectively work on achieving the ambitious future exploration goals outlined above. It also

provides a perspective on potential specific benefits to be achieved over the next ten years

(Chapter3).

Whilethis paperis notmeant toprovidea conclusiveviewonthe societalrelevance offuture

spaceexploration, itdocuments astrong commitmentofspace agenciestodeliver benefitsto 



ISECGspaceagenciesinclude,inalphabeticalorder:ASI(Italy),CNES(France),CNSA(China),CSA(Canada),CSIRO

(Australia),DLR(Germany),ESA(Europe),ISRO(India),JAXA(Japan),KARI(RepublicofKorea),NASA(UnitedStates

ofAmerica),NSAU(Ukraine),Roscosmos(Russia),UKSA(UnitedKingdom).



TheGlobalExplorationRoadmapcanbedownloadedatwww.globalspaceexploration.org

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society.Itwillaidspaceagenciesinengagingrelevantstakeholdercommunitiesindiscussions

onhowtheflowofbenefitstosocietycanbefurtherimproved.

2. Fundamental Benefits of Space Exploration

To a great extent, the benefits from space exploration are rooted in the generation of

new knowledge, which is the first reward and which has inherent value to humankind. 

Technological knowledge, generated when high‐performance space systems are 

developedtoaddresstheextremechallengesofspacemissions,yieldsmanyinnovations

that benefit the public. Scientific knowledge acquired from space expands humankind's

understanding of nature and frequently unlocks creative and useful Earth‐based

applications for society. In the longer term, the knowledge accumulated over many

missions and the expansion of human presence into the Solar System help people gain

perspective on the fragility and rarity of life in the Universe and on humankind's

accomplishments,potential,anddestiny.

Space exploration stimulates the creation of both tangible and intangible benefits for

humanity. Tangible  impacts include all the innovation‐related applications and be nefits

resulting from investments in these programmes, such as new devicesandservicestha t 

spinoffintothemarketplace.Inaddition,space explorationleadstoadvancesinscience

and technology, and furthers workforce development and industrial capabilities, thus

leading to an overall stimulation of private  companies and industries, all of which

contributes significantly to the economic progress of space‐faring nations. Space

explorationisalsoknowntoattractyoungpeopleintocareersinscienceandtechnology

to the general benefit of society and the economy (see chapter 2.1). Space exploration

also results in various intangible impacts due to the social and philosophical dimensions

that address the nature and meaning of human life. Intangible benefits include the

enrichingofculture,theinspirationofcitizens,andthebuildingofmutualunderstanding

asaresultofinternationalcooperationamongspace‐faringnations.

Thefundamentalbenefits generatedbyspace  explorationaregrouped inthisdocument

asfollows:(i)innovation;(ii)cultureandinspiration;and(iii)newmeanstoaddressglobal

challenges. The delivery of these benefits to society provides the main rationale for

investment in space exploration. An illustration on how these benefits are delivered by

spaceagenciesisgivenintheboxbelow.

Space exploration’s capacity to continue  delivering significant benefits to humanity was

recognized by high‐level government representatives from around the world whenthey

convened in Lucca, Italy, in November 2011. They concluded that space exploration

provides:

unprecedentedopportunitiestodeliverbenefitstohumanityonEarth…These

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benefitsincludefuellingfuturediscoveries;addressingglobalchallengesinspace

andonEarththroughtheuseofinnovativetechnology;creatingglobalpartnerships

bysharingchallengingandpeacefulgoals;inspiringsocietyandespeciallythe

youngergenerationsthroughcollectiveandindividualefforts;andenabling

economicexpansionandnewbusinessopportunities.



HowSpaceExplorationDeliversBenefits

The benefits of space can be categorized as either direct or indirect. The direct benefits of

exploration include the generation of scientific knowledge, the diffusion of innovation and

creation of markets, the inspiration of people around the world, and agreements forged

betweenthecountriesengagedinexploration.

Indirectbenefitsthatresultovertime includetangibleenhancementstothequalityoflifesuch

asimprovedeconomicprosperity,health,environmentalquality,safety,andsecurity.Theyalso

include intangible philosophical benefits such as a deepened understanding and new

perspectivesonhumankind’sindividualandcollectiveplaceintheUniverse.

Possibilities for benefit creation multiply rapidly when the products of space exploration

interact with the imagination and creativity present in other fields of endeavour. Cultural

benefits may depend on exploration mission stories and images spreading broadly across

society. Educational organisations, the media and communications industries play  a role in

interpreting and amplifying exploration data, so that citizens may understand and appreciate

theirsignificance.To maximizesocietalimpact, spaceagenciessharespaceexplorationresults

and collaborate with research institutions, businesses, universities, schools, museums, and

otherorganizations.

Thefigurebelowrepresentsamodelofthelinksbetweenspaceactivitiesandultimatesocietal

benefits, and it helps space  agencies explain and assess the unique contribution that space

explorationmakestoproducingbenefitsforhumanity.





"FinalDeclaration of theFirstmeeting of  theHigh‐levelInternationalSpace ExplorationPlatform", Lucca,Italy,

2011,www.luccaexplorationconference2011.org.

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ISECG–BenefitsStemmingfromSpaceExploration

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

2.1. Innovation

The challenge of space exploration drives a continuing effort to design ever more capable,

reliable, and efficient systems requiring the utmost ingenuity. Space exploration missions use

the unique capabilities of humans (e.g. on the spot

decision‐making, cognitive adaptability, versatility) and

robots (e.g. precision, sensory accuracy, reliability and

expendability) to achieve ambitious  exploration goals.

Maximizing the productivity of these missions by

demandinganeffectivepartnershipbetweenhumansand

machinesdrivesprogressinhumanhealth care,robotics,

automation,andotherdomains.

Spaceexplorationthussupportsinnovationandeconomic

prosperity by stimulating advances in science and

technology, as well as motivating the global scientific and technological workforce, thus

enlargingthesphereofhumaneconomicactivity.

Figure 2. Exoskeleton to help

paraplegics walk, derived from space

roboticsystems



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AdvancesinScienceandTechnology

Overcoming the challenges of working in space has led to many technological and scientific

advances that have provided benefits to society on Earth in areas including health and

medicine,transportation,publicsafety,consumergoods,energyandenvironment,information

technology,andindustrialproductivity.

The wider list  of technological

benefits encompasses improved

solar panels, implantable heart

monitors, light‐based anti‐cancer

therapy, cordless tools, light‐

weight high‐temperature alloys

used in jet engine turbines,

cameras found in today's cell

phones, compact water‐

purification systems, global

search‐and‐rescue systems and

biomedicaltechnologies.

1112131415

.

Scientific research founded on

datafromspaceisalsoleadingto

discoveries with benefits for life

on Earth. Ongoing research in the space environment of the ISS – in areas such as human

physiology, plant biology, materials science, and fundamental physics – continues to yield

insights that benefitsociety. For example, studies of the human body’sresponse to extended

periods in the microgravity environment of the ISS are improving our understanding of the

aging process. Fundamental scientific studies of the Martian environment, its evolution and

current state represent important benchmarks of terrestrial planetary evolution, and hence,



People often ask, If you like spin‐off products, why  notjust

invest in those technologies straightaway, instead of

waitingforthemtohappenasspin‐off s?Theanswer:itjust

doesn'tworkthatway.Let'ssayyou’reathermodynamicist,

the world's expert on heat, and I ask you to build me a

betteroven.Youmightinventaconvectionoven,oranoven

that’s more insulated or that permits easier access to its

contents. But no matter how much money I give you, you

will not invent a microwave oven. Becausethat came from

another place. It came from investments in

communications,in radar.Themicrowaveovenistraceable

to the war effort, not to a thermodynamicist.



Neil deGrasse Tyson, Space Chronicles,  W.W.Norton& Company,

2012,p.210

.

 Down to Earth: Everyday Uses for European Space Technology, European Space Agency, 2001,

www.esa.int/esapub/br/br175/br175.pdf



 Spinoff materials published by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (e.g. Spinoff database,

spinoff.nasa.gov/spinoff/database;Spinoff2012,spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2012);



 Spinoff from Japan's Aerospace Technology, aerospacebiz.jaxa.jp/en/spinoff; Aerospace Biz 2012, Japan

AerospaceExplorationAgency,2012,aerospacebiz.jaxa.jp/jp/publish/data/aerospacebiz_2012.pdf



"neuroArm: Robotic arms lend a healing touch", Canadian Space Agency, www.asc‐

csa.gc.ca/eng/iss/benefits_01_neuroArm.asp.



“FromSpacetoEarth”,B.FeuerbacherandE.Messerschmid,SchifferPublisher,March2011.

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provide a model that some scientists believe will aid our growing understanding of climate

changeprocessesonEarth.

GlobalTechnicalWorkforceDevelopment

InvestmentintheApolloMoonexplorationprogrammeinthe1960scorrelateswiththe

level of technical education later attained by students (Figure 3), suggesting that the

programme’shighpublicprofileanddramaticachievementshadawidespreadinfluence

onthelevelofUStechnicaleducation.







Figure3.SpaceExploration'sImpactonEducationalAchievement.



A2009surveyfoundthatfiftypercentoftheinternationallyrenownedscientistswhopublished

inthe prestigiousjournalNatureduringthepreviousthreeyearshadbeeninspiredbyApolloto

becomescientists; 89 percent of the respondents also agreed that human spaceflight inspires

youngergenerationstostudyscience.



One of the lessons from Apollo is that having a visible space exploration programme is

important in encouraging young people to pursue science, technology, engineering, and

Siegfried,W.H.,"SpaceColonization—BenefitsfortheWorld",SpaceTechnologyandApplicationsInternational

Forum,2003.



Nature460,314‐315(2009);www.nature.com/news/2009/090715/full/460314a.html.

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mathematics(STEM) fields. Sucha programme will also send amessage to students that they

havethepossibilityoflong‐termexcitingcareersinscienceandtechnology.







Figure4.Spaceexplorationinspiresstudents.

Today, many space exploration missions include components designed to stimulate young

people’s interest in STEM. More than 2 million  teachers and 43 million students from 49

countries have participated in student experiments and activities associated with the 

International Space Station (ISS)

.In some cases, scientists enlisted the help of students to

conduct their investigations aboard the ISS, and in other cases students designed space

experiments themselves. For example, a  programme inviting students to design scientific

experiments for implementation on the ISS has attracted the interest of tens of thousands of

youngpeople



EnlargedEconomicSphere

Theearlyspaceactivitieshaveundoubtedlyenlargedoureconomicsphere,whichnowextends

into space, including the low Earth orbit up to geostationary distances. Recently private

initiatives have been launched to extend the economic sphere even further,extending to the

Moon, asteroids, and even Mars. This relies on space exploration, which drives the

developmentofnewtechnologiesandcapabilities(e.g.heavyliftlaunchers,humanandrobotic

servicing,andautonomousspaceoperations).Bydevelopingreliablespaceexplorationsystems

that incorporate human decision‐making, troubleshooting, and flexibility, possibilities are

createdforenhancingtheeconomicdevelopmentofspacedrivenbyprivatesectorinvestments

(e.g.newmeanstoservicein‐spaceinfrastructureforapplicationsandsciencepurposescanbe

envisaged).

Furthermore,bydeepeningourunderstandingofhowhumansandmachinesfunctioninspace,

and developing technologies for space exploration, publicly funded space exploration has

 "Inspiring the Next Generation:ISS Education Opportunities and Accomplishments 2000‐2012", ref:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/696998main_ISSEducation_Publication2012_final_100512.pdf

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, an initiative of the National Center for Earth and Space Science

EducationinpartnershipwithNanoRacks,LLCandNASA,ssep.ncesse.org.

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loweredtherisksandcostsassociatedwithaccessingandworkinginspace.Asaresultprivate

investment is increasing in space‐based endeavours such as space transportation systems,

Earth‐orbiting habitats, space tourism and even planetary mining technologies to eventually

harvest precious materials thought to be present in asteroids

. Investment in space‐based

endeavoursisbecomingsufficientlyattractivetoprivateentrepreneurs,sothathumankindmay

bereadyto"incorporatethesolarsysteminoureconomicsphere"

.

EnlargingtheEconomicSphere

May 2012 saw the first resupply mission to the ISS by a privately‐owned space vehicle

.

Hundreds of millions of dollars of private capital have been invested in the development of

human space transportation andhabitation systems with relevancetopotential future space‐

basedindustriessuchastourismandresourcemining.Apartfromcargovehiclestoservicethe

ISS, early‐stage investments have also been made in the development of privately‐crewed

spacecraftandspacestations.IntheUnitedKingdom,privatesectorinvestmentistargetingthe

developmentofenginetechnologyfora reusablespace‐plane.Internationalprizecompetitions

havealsobeenestablishedwhichstimulateprivatesectorinvestmentsinspaceexploration

.

2.2. CultureandInspiration

Space exploration missions offer a unique perspective on humanity’s place in the Universe,

satisfying our curiosity and inspiring wonder. They provide  the best opportunities for

addressing questions such as “What is the nature of the Universe”, "Is the destiny of

humankindboundtoEarth?",“Areweandourplanetunique?”,and"Istherelifeelsewherein

theUniverse?”.

The first five decades of human activity in space had a profound impact on the social

development of humankind. Yuri Gagarin's first moments in space  and Neil Armstrong's first

stepontheMoontrulywere“giantleapsformankind”becausetheyexpandedourviewsabout

the limits of human travel and planted seeds for new thinking  about where beyond Earth

humanexistencemightbepossible.StephenHawkinghasarguedthat"toconfineourattention

to terrestrial matters would beto limit the human spirit"

. Understanding whether sustained

humanactivitybeyondEarthorbitisactuallyfeasiblewillhavea profoundinfluenceoncultural

andintellectuallifearoundtheworldandonhumanity’sviewsandexpectationsofitself.



SeeinitiativesasthoseofPlanetaryResources(http://www.planetaryresources.com/)andDeepSpaceIndustries

(http://deepspaceindustries.com/team/)

Marburger,J.,keynoteaddress,44thRobertH.GoddardMemorialSymposium,AmericanAstronauticalSociety,

Greenbelt,MD,2006.

See:http://www.spacex.com

 For example, the Ansari X‐Prize, space.xprize.org/ansari‐x‐prize; and the Google Lunar X‐Prize,

www.googlelunarxprize.org.

StephenHawking,ForewordtoThePhysicsofStarTrek,byL.M.Krauss,BasicBooks,2007.

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Theremaysoonbenewsaboutenvironmentsthatcouldhaveharbouredlifeelsewhereinthe

solar system. In early 2013 the Mars Curiosity Rover obtained preliminary evidence that the

Martian environment once had conditions  favourable to supporting  life. Discovery of signs of

past or present life in the solar system (or beyond

) would affect in unpredictable ways

humanity’s appreciation of life’s uniqueness on Earth. The impact on philosophy, culture,

religion,andpoliticscouldbecomparabletothatcausedbyCopernicus'sheliocentricmodelof

theUniverse.

 

ImpactofSpaceExplorationonCulture



Earth

Figure5.Earthriseseenfromlunarorbit(a)Apollo 8,and(b)Kaguyaaswellas(c)pictureofEarthtakenbyNASA’s

Cassiniprobefrommorethan1.4billionkilometersawayinorbitaroundSaturn.

Aniconicsymbolofspaceexploration'scapacitytoalterhumankind'sperceptionofitsplacein

theUniverseisthe“Earthrise”photographfromtheApollo8missionin1968(Figure5.a).Seen

fromlunarorbit,ourhomeplanetappearedfragile andisolated.Thephotographcausedmany

todevelopanewperspectiveofourplaceinthecosmosandraisedawarenessoftheneedfor

global solutions to environmental challenges. Earth was seen as a seamless whole without

nationalboundaries.

Space exploration has also inspired the development of various movies, bestselling books,

songs, photographs and paintings. Culturalproducts are a very visiblesymbol for howsociety

relatestospaceexploration.

2.3. NewMeanstoAddressGlobalChallen ges

Partnerships and capabilities developed through human space exploration create new

opportunities for addressing global challenges. Space exploration is an inherently worldwide

endeavourthat attractsbroadinternationalinterest andaffectspeopleallacrossthe globeby

producing knowledge, capabilities, and relationships that help society deal with some of the

most pressing long‐term global challenges.Space exploration is a catalyst for nati ons  to build

Explorationbeyondthesolarsystemisdiscoveringplanetaryworlds–“exoplanets”–withemphasisonfinding

Earth‐likebodiesthatmightsupportlife.

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mutual understanding and trust, and international partnerships that advance common

exploration goals help to align interests among nations and promote diplomacy. As

programmesbecomemoreambitious,liketheISS(seetextboxbelow)andhumanmissionsto

theMoon,asteroids,andMars,theyrequiremoreextensiveinternationalcooperation,andthis

createsopportunitiestostrengthenthecapacityforpeaceful,globally‐coordinatedactivitiesin

space and on Earth. Complex and demanding exploration missions will benefit from

contributionsbyawidepoolofpartners.Futurepartnershipsforspaceexplorationwillbuildon

existingpartnershipsuchastheonefortheISS,butwill alsobeopentoincludenewpartners.

Partnershipopportunitiescanbeadaptedtotheneedsandresourcesofdevelopedaswellasof

developingcountries.

ISSandGlobalPartnerships

The ISS partnership, nearly thirty years old, is the pre‐eminent example of successful,

continuing international cooperation in space exploration. Fifteen nations signed the

intergovernmental agreement that established the partnership framework (Figure 6), and 

cooperationhasexpandedovertheyears,resultingin68nationstodatethathaveparticipated

in ISS activities. The ISS partnership demonstrates the functional dimension of international

cooperationinspaceasitenablespartnerswithdifferentlevelsofinvestmentstogainaccessto

this unique laboratory, not affordable for any partner alone, and thereby share into the

benefits.

It also demonstrates the political aspect of exploration. To achieve its core mission, the ISS

partnershiphasovercomepoliticalandeconomicstrains.It has demonstratedthe diplomatic

valueofinternational cooperationinspace. Anastronaut whoservedon theISShasobserved

thatithasbeen“asmuchaforeignpolicy…achievementasitisatechnicalone.”



  



Figure6.InternationalcooperationontheInternationalSpaceStationbuildstrustamongnations

International partnerships and technical capabilities for space exploration contribute to

developing new options for dealing with global  challenges for which space activities offer

unique solutions. These include  thechallenges of dealing with hazardous near‐Earth asteroids

andmanaging thethreat posedbysolar stormstothepeopleandequipmentinspaceandon

Payette,Julie,“Research andDiplomacy350 KilometersabovetheEarth.Lessonsfromthe International Space

Station,”ScienceandDiplomacy,December2012.

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Earth. Enhanced global partnerships and exploration capabilities may also contribute to

protecting spacecraft by developing new means for space debris removal. Furthermore,

knowledgegainedfromspaceexplorationcanalsocontributestoimplementingpoliciesrelated

toenvironmentallysustainable development. Earth can be regardedas a spaceship floating in

oursolarsystem. Manyaspectsofsustainability,recycling, orefficientuse of scarceresources

havetobetackledinthecourseofexplorationmissionsandcanbetransferredtosystemson

Earth.

AdvancingCapabilitiesforGlobalProtection

Capabilities developed and knowledge gathered from space

exploration contribute to ongoing efforts to understand the

threat to Earth posed by asteroids, and to devise means for

protecting the planet. Scientists

 believe  that a collision

between the Earth and one or more large asteroids about 65

million years ago caused the rapid mass extinction of most

plantandanimalspeciesonEarth.Worldwideawarenessofthe

dangers posed by asteroids was raised by the February 2013 close approach of a 40‐metre

asteroid and, on the same day, the unexpected explosion over Russia of a meteor (Figure 7)

believedtobeabout17metreswideandweighing10,000tonnes.Theblastinjuredover1,000

people and damaged over 4,000 buildings.The asteroid that missed Earth by only 27,000

kilometres was large enough to have caused catastrophic damage if it had entered the

atmosphere

.

TheseeventstriggeredpublicconcernabouthowtoprotectEarthfromasteroidcollisions.They

also underscored the significance of the work of the international space groups recently

endorsedforcreationbytheUnitedNationsCommitteeonthePeacefulUsesofOuterSpace's

WorkingGrouponNear‐EarthObjects

.

Space‐based systems that will be required to provide astronauts and exploration spacecraft

withearlywarningofsolareventsalsoprovidedirectbenefittopeopleonEarth.Geomagnetic



Figure7.Chelyabinsk

meteor

 Alvarez, LW, Alvarez, W, Asaro, F, and Michel, HV (1980). "Extraterrestrial cause for the Cretaceous–Tertiary

extinction". Science 208 (4448): 1095–1108; “Time Scales of Critical Events Around the Cretaceous‐Paleogene

Boundary”, by Paul. R. Renne et. al., Science, Vol. 339no. 6120pp. 684‐687, February 8, 2013; “Two large

meteoriteimpactsattheCretaceous‐PaleogeneBoundary,”byDavidJolley,et.al.,Geology,Vol.38,no.9,pp.835‐

838,September2010.

"NASAReleasesRadarMovieofAsteroid2012DA14",www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013‐101.

 "Recommendationsof the ActionTeam on Near‐EarthObjects foran international response to the near‐Earth

object impact threat", United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, 20 Feb 2013,

www.oosa.unvienna.org/pdf/misc/2013/at‐14/at14‐handoutE.pdf.

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disturbances caused by solar storms can severely damage electrical and radio transmission

grids on Earth. In 1989, a  geomagnetic storm affected millions of people by knocking out the

electrical power grid in Quebec, Canada, and causing power grid problems across the United

States, including destruction of a key nuclear power plant transformer

. Adverse space

weathercausesdisruptionof spaceservicesfor globalcommunications,navigation and search

&rescueonwhichsocietyisevermorereliant.

3. Expected Benefits from Exploration Missions in the Next Ten Years

Benefits will materialize in the short‐term as agencies prepare for implementing human

missions beyond LEO. Space agencies have made public their collective intention to plan for

human and robotic missions beyond LEO to destinations including the Moon, asteroids and

Mars

.Agencieswillconductinthenexttenyearsroboticmissionstothesedestinations.They

will invest in the development and demonstration of advanced technologies and new human

transportation systems, conduct groundand space‐based researchfor ensuring human health

andperformance inspaceandusetheISSforadvancingglobalresearchandtestingexploration

technologies, systems, and operational concepts. Early human missions beyond LEO are

expectedto takeplace in theearly2020s.Thenext ten yearswillbeessentialforbuilding the

globalpartnershiprequiredforachievingtheambitiousgoalsofspaceexploration.

With this outlook in mind, this section describes some social and economic benefits that are

expected to result from space exploration in the near‐term in the three fundamental benefit

areasintroducedinchapter2.



3.1. Innovation



The challenges to achieving ambitious exploration goals are driven largely by the need to

enablereliable,safeandsustainedoperationsofcrewandmachinesintheharshenvironment

of space. These challenges require solutions that will provide benefits on Earth even before

beingemployedinorbit,andtheyinclude:

 Developmentofhighlyreliable human androbotic systemsinteractingwith eachother

onEarthandinspacewithlimitedmaintenance;

Longtraveltimeandoperationinconfinedspacecraftandshelters;

Newtransportationcapabilities(e.g.launch,rendezvous,docking,refuelling,landing);





 "Severe Space Weather Events‐‐UnderstandingSocietal and Economic Impacts: A Workshop Report", National

ResearchCouncil,NationalAcademyofSciences,2008(page109).Accessedatwww.nap.edu/catalog/12507.html.

“TheGlobalExplorationStrategy.TheFrameworkforCoordination”,2007.

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 Operationsinextremelyhostileenvironments;

AutonomousoperationswithlimitedcommunicationsandlogisticalsuppliesfromEarth;

Miniaturizationofcomponentsanddevelopmentofnewin‐situcapabilities.



ClosedLoopLifeSupportSystem

While recycling is critical for limiting the costs of sustaining human operations in Low Earth

Orbit, it is an absolute requirement for enabling human missions beyond LEO. Life support

systemsforfuturedeepspacemissionswillneedtohavenearly100%recyclingcapability.

The European MELiSSA project (Micro‐Ecological Life Support System Alternative

) is one

example of a project which aims at gaining knowledge and know‐how in the development a

closedloopsustainablehabitat.Incollaborationwiththeindustry,ithasdevelopedtechnology

thatpurifiesmillionsofcubicmetresofwatereveryday,inhundredsoftowns

.Furthermore,

sensorsdeveloped tomonitortheMELISSA recyclingprocessesare now usedin the processes

usedbyterrestrialfoodproducers.

ManybacteriawerestudiedforapplicationwithintheMELiSSAproject.Oneofthosehasbeen

showntocutlevelsofLDLcholesterol–the‘bad’cholesterol‐andresearchonthisbacterium

hasnowbeentakenoverbytheprivatesector

.



Theverysame solutionsprovidingspaceexploration missions withimprovedtechnologieswill

inturn leadtomore efficientsolutionsin the commercialsatellite marketand theenablingof

newapplications.Anticipatedinnovationsinclude:

 miniaturization(mass,power,volume),

increasedlifetimeandrobustnessforoperationsinaharshenvironment,

lowercostlaunchers,

increasedpowerefficiency,

lighterandmoreefficientsolararraysandradiators,

lighterstructures,and

higherenergy‐densitystoragedevices.





A human space mission of several months will require innovative health care and medical

diagnosticandtherapytoolstoworkinconfinedspaceswithlimitedin‐situmedicalexpertise.



http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Melissa/index.html

http://www.veoliawaterst.com/biostyr/en/

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Research/Red_bacteria_fighting_cholesterol_for_you



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



Telemedicine

MaintainingthehealthofastronautsastheyexplorebeyondLowEarthOrbitandconduct

missionsofmanymonthsoryearswillrequireincreasinglysophisticatedmethods.

Telemedicineprovidesmedicalcaretopatientswhomaybelocatedfarawayfrommedical

providers.Itiscriticallyimportanttothesuccessofspaceexploration,andspaceagencieshave

ledmuchoftheinnovationinthisfieldsinceitsverybeginnings.Meanwhile,thepublicisusing

telemedicinecapabilitiesmoreandmoretosenddiagnosticimagestodoctorsinothercities,to

allowpatientsinruralareastoremainathomewhilehospitalnursesmonitorvitalparameters

suchasheartrateorbloodpressure,andtoconductinteractivemedicalexaminationsand

diagnosticprocedures.Theconvenienceandefficiencyprovidedbytelemedicineprovides

tangiblebenefitstosocietyandisimprovingthequalityoflifeforpeoplearoundtheglobe.



TheAdvancedDiagnosticUltrasoundinMicrogravity(ADUM)developedbyNASAinpartnership

withahospitalinDetroitisoneexampleofanexploration‐driventelemedicineinnovation.This

portableultrasounddevicebeingtestedontheISSmayonedayhelpcrewmembersasfar

awayasMars,andmayalsobeparticularlyusefulforemergencymedicalpersonnelonEarth.

TheADUMcandiagnoseavarietyofailments,includingabdominalconditions,collapsedlungs,

andtoothinfections,anditpromisestosaveliveswhileloweringhealthcarecosts.





Figure8.AstronautsaboardtheInternationalSpaceStationuseacompactultrasounddevicetocapture

andtransmittoEarthhigh‐qualityimagesofinternalorgansandstructures,demonstratingatechnology

thatprovidespeopleinremotelocationsonEarthwithefficientaccesstoexpertdiagnosisandmedical

treatment.



http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/133.html

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

The direct infusion of technological innovations from space into terrestrial markets will be

ensuredbyindustrial entitiesoperatingsimultaneouslyinspaceandterrestrialmarketsaswell

asbythetechnologytransferprogrammesrunbyspaceagencies.

Continuedmissions on theISS,aswellas plannedhuman androboticmissions beyondLEOto

the Moon, asteroids, and Mars will be key to generating scientific knowledge in the fields of

planetaryscience,astrobiology,astrophysics,fundamentalphysics,lifesciences,andthe social

sciences.Forexample,theISSwillcontinuetohoststudiestounderstandthe physiologicaland

biological effects of space on humans, such as bone and muscle loss, diminished immune

efficiency, slower wound healing, and poorer cognitive performance. The results are helping

the medical community to provide better health care for remote communities and aging

populations.

More broadly, the growing capacity to work in space for extended periods of time is likely to

encourage further investment in the space economy – for example through mastery of

sophisticated and delicate repair and construction tasks such as the servicing of the Hubble

space telescope, and greater understanding of how to manage risks to human health and

safety.Specifically,developmentsinpropulsion,transportation,andinfrastructuresystemsmay

lowerthecostofspaceaccessandutilization,andthusenableexpandedprivateinvestmentin

spacecargotransport,spacetourism,andresourceutilization.



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3.2. CultureandInspiration

In recent years, a number of agencies have conducted robotic space missions

 that have 

uncoverednewknowledgeaboutthesolarsystem'spastandpresentandareprovidingcluesto

help humankind understand how life began on Earth. In the coming decade, a variety of new

missionstotheMoon,asteroids,andMars

willdeepenthatunderstandingandshedlighton

thepossibilityofpastorpresentlifeelsewhereinthesolarsystem.



ExploringMars:InspirationforHumankind

The possibility of past or present life beyond Earth continues to inspire people to reflect on

humanity's place in the Universe. Since the 1970's, space agencies have sent a series of

spacecraft to explore Mars in the search for answers.

Scientistsnowbelievethatwatermay once haveflowed

on the surface and that early conditions on the planet

could have supported life. NASA's Curiosity rover, which

has been exploring the Yellowknife Bay area on Mars

since2012,hasdiscoverednewevidencethatMarscould

have supported ancient microbial life. ESA and

RoscosmosplansforExoMarsmissionsin2016and2018,

andNASA'splansforaMars2020roverwillmakefurther

progressinthesearchforsignsoflife.Thesemissionsset

the stage for what scientistsagreewill bring humankind

even closer to revealing whether Martian life ever

existed: a mission to return Mars samples back

toEarth.

Figure9.FromNASACuriosityRover:

Martianlandscapelookingtoward

MountSharpnearYellowknifeBay,an

areawhereresearchershavefound

mineralsindicatingthepastpresenceof

water.



Therenewedinterestinspaceexploration,generatedbyworkonhumanmissionsbeyondLEO

isdeeplyinspirational.Thesemissionswillacceleratesolarsystemexplorationanddiscoveryby

leveraginghumankind'snaturalabilitytoanalyzeandadapttounpredictablesituations.Human



 Recent lunar missions include CNSA's Chang'e 1 and 2, ESA's SMART‐1, ISRO's Chandrayaan‐1, JAXA's Kaguya,

andNASA'sLRO,LCROSS,andGRAIL.RecentasteroidmissionsincludeESA'sRosetta,JAXA'sHayabusa,andNASA's

Dawn.RecentMarsmissionsincludeESA'sMarsExpress,andNASA'sPhoenix, MarsReconnaissanceOrbiter,and

Curiosity.

PlannedlunarmissionsincludeCNSA'sChang'e3,ISRO'sChandrayaan‐2,NASA'sLADEE,andRoscosmos'sLuna‐

Glob(Luna‐25and26)andLuna‐Resurs(Luna‐27).PlannedasteroidmissionsincludeJAXA'sHayabusa‐2andNASA's

OSIRIS‐REx. Planned Mars missions include ESA‐Roscosmos’s ExoMars, ISRO's Mangalyaan, and NASA's MAVEN,

InSight,andMars2020mission.

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missions to the lunar vicinity that are being considered for the next decade will lay the

groundworkforexplorationofmoredistantdestinations.

Exploringasteroids:InspirationforHumankind



  



Figure10.(a)MotionpictureposterfortheJapanesemoviethatfollowedtheHayabusa‐1mission(b)JAXA

conceptofHayabusa‐2mission.



PublicexcitementinJapanreachednewheightsin2010afterJAXA'sHayabusamissionbecame

the first ever to return sample material from an asteroid back to Earth. After the spacecraft

suffered several near‐catastrophic technical problems, the public became enthralled with the

heroiceffortstorevivethemission,whichwastreatedasatopnewsstoryoftheyearandthe

topic of 3 motion pictures. Samples returned from asteroid Itokawa are being analyzed by

laboratoriesinJapan,theUSA,andotherpartsoftheworld.

Asthefollow‐onmission,Hayabusa‐2istargetedtobelaunchedin2014toasteroid1999JU3.It

willcarryanimpactortocreateanartificialcraterontheasteroidandcollectsubsurfacesample

material.ItwillalsocarryJapaneseroversandalanderbuiltbyaGerman‐Frenchcollaboration.

It is scheduled to comebackto Earth in 2020 with its sample. Hayabusa‐2will investigate the

origin of organic matter and water in the solar system and how they are related to life and

waterintheoceansofEarth.

3.3. NewMeanstoAddressGlobalChallenges

The nextten yearswill be essential for building international partnership for exploration. This

will offer opportunities to developed and emerging space nations to contribute according to

theirneedsandcapabilities.

The ability to operate and work with humans in the lunar vicinity will provide new means for

protectingtheplanetandservicingspace‐basedassets.NASAhasbegunplanningforarobotic

mission to redirect a small asteroid into lunar orbit to allow for a human to visit it. Space

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exploration missions such as this will contribute to already ongoing efforts to understand the

threat to Earth posed by asteroids,currentlymostly implemented through ground and space‐

based telescopes, and to devise means for protecting the planet. Furthermore, stronger

cooperation in space exploration will create opportunities for enhanced international

coordinationandcooperationontopicssuch asspace  debris managementand space weather

monitoring

Cooperationbetweendiversenationsonchallengingspaceprojectswill showcasetheabilityto

jointlyadvancecommongoalsandhelptoimprovediplomatictiesandunderstandingbetween

nations.

4. Conclusion

Spaceexplorationhasproducedanimpressiverecordofbenefitsforhumanity.Thispaperhas

distilledabodyofevidenceofsuchbenefitsintoafewkeyobservationsaboutthecapacityof

futurespaceexplorationtocontributetoinnovation,cultureandinspiration,andnewmeansto

addressglobalchallenges.

Space exploration has driven scientific and technological innovation that benefits people

aroundtheglobeeveryday.Sendinghumansandmachinesintospace presentschallengesthat

are overcome only by the utmost ingenuity; this leads to new knowledge and technical

innovationsthatareusedonEarthinwaysthatcanbedramaticandunpredictable.

Space exploration serves a cultural and inspirational purpose by fulfilling a deep need to

understand the world, address questions about the origins of life and the nature of the

Universe,andtoexpandthenotionofwhatitmeanstobehuman.

Because space exploration stimulates significant global investment and international

partnerships, and because of its extremely challenging nature, demands the development of

cutting edge technical capabilities, it provides unique opportunities to address some of the

global challenges facing society  today. When nations work together on challenging space

missions,thispromotesinternationalcooperationbeyondtherealmofspace.Italignsinterests

andforgesrelationshipsthatfurtherpeaceandstabilityonEarth.

ThereisnoactivityonEarththatmatchestheuniquechallengesofspaceexploration.Thefirst

fifty years of space activity have generated benefits for people around the globe. This past

record gives strong reason for confidence that renewedinvestments in space exploration will

havesimilarlypositiveimpactsforfuturegenerations.

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Image Credits

Figure 2: Exoskeleton (NASA and the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition); Figure 4:

Astronauts: NASA; students: commons.wikimedia; Figure 5: Apollo Earthrise (NASA), Kaguya Earthrise

(JAXA),Cassini(NASA);Figure6:ISSExpedition20(NASA),ISS(NASA);Figure7:Chelyabinskmeteor(AP

Photo/Nasha gazeta, www.ng.kz); Figure 8: Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity (NASA).;

Figure9:NASA;Figure10:JAXA;TwentiethCenturyFox.

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