“A crisis brings along with it, the flaws in your present and the opportunities for your future”
This article, at the end of the read is mine and yours’ combined attempt to give an understanding on our civilizations’ vulnerabilities, where we are and the next window of opportunities in the current global environment.
By now we have understood that the global economy is vulnerable to COVID-19, or such disease outbreaks. This is not the first such outbreak and this is not going to be the last. However, the obvious solution to tackle this pandemic is to identify with prevention measures and cures founded by medical science, but can we cure the economy. The global markets of equity and commodities are having a tough time. Can detaching the manufacturing hubs and shifting from one nation to other the solution to drive the global economy wheel. Definitely no!
Every economy begins from agrarian, to a producer of quantities, to a provider of quality, to a provider of disruption.
Shifting from agrarian economy, we introduced interdependent economies with the industrial revolution at the imperial ages of #Commonwealth of Great Britain in the 17th century. The introduction of World wars and their resolution shifted the industrial manufacturing hubs from Pockets around the world to the United States of America. She converted her farming community into manufacturers, created consumer markets and worth for their capital by restructuring a ravaged #Europe and built a customer base in #NATO. By the end of the cold war, the economy of #USA diverted her efforts to technology-based economy and passed on the manufacturing scoops to Countries like #China, which could take up these works with her own strengths. Meanwhile, #India amassed on this opportunity and grabbed on to the services sector. We should observe the march of global economic powerhouses and try to sync with the thought mentioned above, about the disruption required in the economy.
#Kardashev #scale defines the progress of human civilization, considering the advancements of the civilization from a scale of our planet to that of our universe. So this defines the perfect sail to our march of global economy. This article only refers to the philosophy of it, though I would recommend you to read up on it. The scale pursues the civilization's ability to harness energy in the available environment. The scale defines the scale from value I to value III. On that scale we are currently at 0.73. The picture below can help you grasp the scale.
SPACE ECONOMY
If you have read this far, I hope you agree that re mobilizing the manufacturing hubs from one nation to other shall be easy being said, than done. Because going to those countries was an economical choice at the first place. So, these measures can create a pocket of economy at one world at the expense of the other. The global economy has been able to climb upwards only when it is not at the expense of itself. But now, the global economy needs to breach new frontiers of economy, to support the operation of current establishments.
The space-based economy is a good opportunity, in the sense it is a necessity and inevitable step for the economy to prosper. Does it solve our on-going problems?
We know that space is the least toxic environment, because it does not support life and we are aware of the stressful environment we are going to face. The degree of stress in space has remained the same in our outer space, as it has been for the humanly conscious period. We live in the habitable zone of our solar system, so our operations are as safe as the planet itself. Any Operation in space till date has not been affected by the natural calamities we face every year in some part of the world. An entire global economy is facing a substantial Force Majeure scenario, and such a scenario cannot hamper a space-based economy.
But what can an economy do in space?
A lot! Every economy is successful only if it fulfills the needs, wants and desires of the civilization. The space can fulfil the need of energy generation for the civilization. There is a better and economical way and a civilization’s need to capture and provide energy solutions from space than to build tangible powerhouses on land. Also, space provides unrestricted physical area to establish manufacturing lines, considering they manufacture products entirely on artificially generated input materials or suitable space based raw material. We are aware that we have an increasing need of effective manufacturing solutions. Illustrations like building of space-based network of satellites for want of universal access to internet technology can again provide means for an economy to operate even in the unforeseen environment, which we see now. And in the long run, the desires of venture to the outer space or making space a tourist spot should be explored. We have observed numerous spin off benefits of the works we have done till date from space, be it the navigation maps we use to the smartphones we have to see those maps. The space sector can provide the manufacturing sector, if #3D #printing is exploited to that extent.
Why space economy? Why now?
Because this is the only way forward. Because the water world is a habitable zone, just like the forest. A true economy cannot prosper at the cost of others. When we invest our skills and resources to specialize and operate in space, the product or the outcome is a technology setting a higher benchmark, high output oriented and provides a higher value to the end user. Scientifically speaking, space economy is the ideal venue for value engineering.
The current scenario defines the outer limits of our current global economy. We as a civilization have proved ourselves that we are able to execute our projects and operations in the most hostile environments known in the planet, such as the offshore oil rigs, huge scale tunneling projects etc. We have capable Designer and thinktanks for designing space-based installations like:
#NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), #ESA (European Space Agency), #CNSA (China National Space Administration) and #ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization)
Policy making bodies for effective statutory compliance and construction contracts for the construction of these installations:
A more vocal United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and constructions contract formulating entity #FIDIC. For the cost effectiveness of these works, the construction of these works can rely on composite material durable to resist temperature spikes and fatigues during the design life, 3D printing which can operate in zero gravity situation and manufacturing of these construction materials in an assembly line.
Capable financing bodies for such projects like:
The World Bank, Asian Development Bank etc.
Where do we lack?
As an enterprising community and civilization, we need to assess and determine for required loopholes in essential technologies, that is identification of successful additive 3D printing in zero gravity. We need to define the cost-effective philosophy of construction down to the aspect of dependence on the execution, testing, commissioning, operations and maintenance of these works.
Outcomes of a space-based economy
We can foresee a much diverse global economy which is well connected and much secured due to a spread of functioning infrastructure in the biosphere of our planet as well as in space.
Due to the surge of technology intensive space-based economy, the opportunity to generate wealth shall only increase exponentially.
Since space-based economy shall provide an alternative to many stressed sectors in the living sphere, such transition can help strengthen the planet’s environment and can assure universal availability of resources.
For a detailed insight into the space based economy I suggest you to have a read through to this research article shared on the public domain. The developments and success by striving nations in the space sector can set the tone for the next step of economic disruption and make it the new normal. We can be certain that’s what Nikolai Kardashev must have thought, “To infinity and beyond”.
Happy Hunting!
P.S.: This Article was first published by the Contributor in Linkedin.com
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