Four predictions for the future of space | 91TV
Transcript
- We can't predict the future.
- And when it comes to imagining the future of space exploration,
- it's easy for things to get a little, well, sci-fi.
- But what if they're not?
- Here are four things that could actually happen in our lifetimes.
- For decades, science fiction writers have imagined a future
- where space elevators transport us almost effortlessly into orbit.
- Scientists now believe that this could, in theory, become reality,
- using new materials like graphene, thought to be
- the strongest of all known materials.
- Picture this - a docking station somewhere on Earth
- with an ultra-strong and super lightweight tether cable,
- which would crawl up like a lift into orbit.
- Space elevators could also transport things between planets and moons.
- That could be useful, for example, on Mars,
- which has a very thin atmosphere,
- making it really hard to land a spacecraft.
- A quick space elevator trip between Mars' moon Phobos
- and the Martian surface could make things much easier.
- Space tourism could become a very real thing.
- You'd take a space elevator to the orbit
- and then take another mode of transport to your destination.
- Day trip to the Moon, anyone?
- The planets, moons, and asteroids in our solar system
- are packed with rare materials such as nickel, iron, and cobalt,
- which are used for batteries, electronics,
- and many low-carbon technologies.
- The most valuable asteroid in the solar system is 511 Davida,
- whose value is estimated at $27 quintillion.
- That's 27 and 18 zeros.
- Meanwhile, other objects in the asteroid belt are full of diamonds.
- We could potentially reduce damage to the Earth's ecosystem
- by shifting the mining of many resources to space.
- Some companies and governments are already interested
- in exploring this, but is it theirs to exploit?
- In the near future, space mining is more likely to be used
- to make human populations in space self-sufficient,
- supplying fuels and materials to space stations and settlements
- on the Moon and Mars.
- Much easier than taking it with us from Earth!
- In the next 50 years, it's very possible
- that the surface of the Moon will be dominated by
- industrial-scale mining and giant structures
- that we've built from the materials we've mined.
- In 50 years' time,
- there may well be permanent settlements on Mars,
- but life for those early explorers will be tough.
- There's no breathable atmosphere,
- relentless dust storms and extreme temperatures.
- These pioneers will face lots of challenges
- to grow and sustain a human presence on Mars.
- For example, how to grow food.
- Martian soil is full of chemicals toxic to humans,
- meaning that any food grown there would be lethal.
- Humans living on Mars may need all sorts of gadgets and gizmos
- to help them cope in that environment,
- such as robotic exoskeletons to counteract muscle wastage
- and loss in bone density.
- Satellites orbiting the Earth tell us the weather,
- provide GPS navigation and climate modelling,
- and since 2019, the number of satellites orbiting Earth
- has increased from approximately 2,000
- to more than 10,000.
- Every time a satellite collides with a piece of space junk,
- it increases the chance of future collisions.
- This could set off a chain reaction known as Kessler syndrome,
- where the Earth is surrounded by so much space junk
- that launching anything into space becomes risky.
- But there's huge potential too.
- Some chemical reactions happen differently in space.
- 3D printing in microgravity works really well, for example -
- much better than on Earth,
- making it possible to create replacement organs in space.
- Global electricity demand has skyrocketed
- due to advances in AI.
- Google's greenhouse gas emissions alone have risen 48% in five years.
- In the future, power-hungry data centres could be located in orbit,
- fed by the plentiful renewable energy from giant solar panels,
- and manufacturing in space could become a thing.
- Who knows, maybe the label on your next prescription
- or a T-shirt might one day say: "Made in Space".
Sometimes the future of space exploration can start to sound a little, well, sci-fi. But here's five possibilities that might actually become reality in the next 50 years. Join @DrBecky for an out-of-this-world adventure.
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