By April Chepovskygold, American editor for Ideaspies.com
Four non-professional astronauts launched into space today on the Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon crew capsule from the United States to orbit the earth for 3 days. The Space X mission was funded by American billionaire Jared Isaacman.
These astronauts were every day people, global citizens of mother earth, not seasoned astronauts. They ushered in on their launch and orbit around the earth a new age in the race to space. Not only have professional astronauts circled the earth, every day global citizens have proven that they too can race to space with a little training and readiness and start the age of tourism and bring it to a whole different dimension, looking down at the earth at 0 gravity..
This is one of the many very cool and interesting things that is happening in 2021 as the race to space continues .
While there are 14 people in space at the moment, down here on earth, the space community got together in Colorado Springs, Colorado to meet, greet, discuss and celebrate innovation and the future of the next frontier.
The 36th annual Space Symposium was held at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The symposium brought together leaders from every facet of the space community from around the world to discuss, address and plan for the future of space in August 2021.
This year, the Space Foundation team welcomed more than 9000 people from around the world, including speakers, attendees, exhibitors, volunteers, educators and students.
Space Symposium is considered the premier U.S. space policy and program forum and as the “must attend” opportunity for information on and interaction among all sectors of space to plan and support the future of space and innovation.
Space Symposium attendees represented all sectors of the space ecosystem from multiple spacefaring nations: space agencies; commercial space businesses and associated subcontractors; military, national security and intelligence organizations; cyber security organizations; federal and state government agencies and organizations; research and development facilities; think tanks; educational institutions; space entrepreneurs and private space travel providers; businesses engaged in adapting, manufacturing or selling space technologies for commercial use; and media that inspire and educate the general public about space.
The conference allowed the space community an opportunity to examine space issues from multiple perspectives, to promote dialogue and to focus attention on space issues that will impact earth based on innovation, research and development.
Space Symposium has been the stage from which many notable space leaders have addressed the world. This has included Richard Branson, and Elon Musk, Vice President of the United States, cabinet officials such as the secretaries of commerce, transportation and defense, secretaries of the Air Force, directors of the National Reconnaissance Office, commanders of United States Strategic Command, United States Northern Command and Air Force Space Command, NASA, NOAA and FAA administrators, heads of global space agencies, members of Congress and senior industry executives, as well as a host of national and state officials, astronauts and private space travelers.
Space Symposium's tremendous exhibit center featured two major halls, for over 200 exhibitors. The mind-boggling exhibits cover a broad range of the latest in space innovation, ranging from nanotechnology to full-scale spacecraft but include things like a space bar and space store.
Numerous well known corporations were there like Lockheed Martin, Firefly and iSpace.
Dan Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit was interviewed at the Space Symposium. He discussed the incredible enthusiasm that the community shared at this event and about the exploration of space.
“ It is in our DNA to go forth and to find out and to explore, it is part of the DNA.” Says Dan Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit. Hart says his company is committed to space to “save earth” referring to climate change and communication throughout the globe.
Nasa is working on sending humans to deep space . The moon is considered to be the pivotal for deeper space missions.
In 2040, there is expected to be a community of 10,000 people living in space valley, in essence a city on the moon that will support further development of space outposts.
Numerous innovations featured on exhibit demonstrated how man would be able to create the necessary materials to be used on the moon and to explore extraterrestrial worlds.
One of these companies, a leading innovator named Lunar Post, has had its first payment on a space resource contract, the first ever of its kind in the history on earth. It will be sending robotics to the moon to help to start to build habitable living places there as well as robotics further into deep space including Mars missions..
Resources that are on the moon, hydrogen, oxygen, rare earth elements, can turn things into habitats. These are found at the South Pole of the moon. Robotics from Lunar post will be sent to the South Pole of the moon to start to use these elements to mix and mine necessary materials for habitats.
For every mission from earth to mars , the moon will be utilizing resources on the lunar surface and refueling on the way.
Robotics will also be used in deeper space for system sustainability.
In the space sector there has been an enormous acceleration driven by technology and capital. This is particularly the case with satellites.
Power systems are more efficient, electric propulsion is more advanced and all have made huge strides when it comes to satellites.
Satellites are a major business and with their use and has involved every industrial sector. The cost has come down to launch them into space astronomically.
Satellites are being built all over the world. The launching, controlling and monitoring of these satellites will drive the space industry forward with big financing and big rewards for their ability to make peoples' lives on earth whether it is in the areas of national security, communication or medical research that much better.
Small launches are ramping up with 80 countries with spaceports and 10 countries able to launch rockets .
There are numerous opportunities across industries that will reap the rewards of space innovation and travel. We will see huge push to return to the moon by various nations and private interests which will also include planetary missions departing from the moon in the future.