Not Another Space Activity! Do we even need it?

The X-Axis Has Shifted... Upwards...

You wouldn’t believe it but this year alone, 2022, we had 172 launches into Space. It is hard to detail how many resources (time, cost, materials, etc.) were required to make this happen, but what isn’t, is that whilst these launches were under the control of 8 different nations, they supported several other countries in achieving their national ambitions. But let us take a step back before we go any further.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) budget in FY2020 was approximately US$23 billion. This figure had complete coverage over a number of initiatives, including Human Exploration and Operations, Exploration Technology, Science, Aeronautics Research, Safety, Security and Mission Services, Environmental Remediation and arguably the most important, STEM Education and Engagement.

That is a lot of money! And it’s expected to increase over the coming years. But understanding this is just one part of the picture. It is just as important to know that this only equates to 0.4% of the overall spend. That is not much at all!

That US$23 billion (FY2020) could have been used on so many other initiatives. Imagine the art of the possible, we could have cured Covid-19 (maybe). Maybe we could have brought a country, any country, out of starvation. Or enhanced National Security mechanisms given the heightened geopolitics. Imagine the progress we could have made towards accomplishing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals!

What About The Why-Axis?

Wait! How about solving and renewing the way we work and live to become a more sustainable species and save our planet from what we may be facing in the next few years. I mean, this aforementioned figure is only NASA, within the United States. Bring in all the various figures from around the world and – well, the figure is probably astronomical. ?

The question remains – why are we spending so much money into what would seem to be a black hole? We have so many issues to solve back on Earth, really, do we need to spend all this money? Those already involved in the Space industry will say yes. Those not, will say no.

Let us explore this with the hypothesis, being the answer to ‘do we need to be spending all these resources on Space activities’, as no. We don’t actually rely on Space or what it entails for anything at all. Your mobile phone doesn’t rely on Space, neither does the very internet connection you’re using to read this article. Wait, sorry, it does.

Is it raining today or are we expecting a storm? Our ability to forecast terrestrial weather is realised through a number of specialist satellite infrastructure. Do you like cooking? Did you know the Teflon frying pan you may be using was originally create for Space purposes (not for cooking in Space though!)

The last one, climate change or rather, the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Did you ever realise that the multitude of sensors we would need on the planet to track these goals and would be ridiculously large? Bottom-up mechanisms work, but what we need is top-down mechanisms. Guess what! We have Earth Observation satellites in Space monitoring much of this right now. But it is important to know that there is not a single sector or industry that doesn’t rely on Space, at present. And this reliance is speculated to grow!

Well, It Is Time To Hit the Z-Axis

I believe this initial hypothesis is wrong. But the picture may not be clear, so let’s try from another angle. A number of technologies that were originally purpose made for usage in Space, have been transferred to terrestrial applications. These spin-offs, more formerly known as Technology Transfers, are innovations developed for Space exploration and discovery are broadly available to other industries and the public, maximizing the benefit to the humanity.?

Whilst there are a multitude of these, the following may hit home the best:

• Motor Racing Suits - Phase Change Materials originally developed for spacesuits under an SBIR with NASA’s Johnson Space Flight Center are now being used in specialized undergarments to help keep race car drivers cool in the cockpit.
• Memory Foam - Memory foam was originally designed for customizable seats for astronauts as their body shapes varied widely. The technology was released in the early 1980s and commercialization began in earnest. Today it is widely applied in many applications from mattresses to other cushioning.
• Space Blankets - 'Space Blankets' were first developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center where they succeeded in producing a new material - metalized polyethylene terephthalate. Spin-off applications include their use in first aid kits, camping equipment and many other applications where thermal insulation is required.
• Baby Formula - Baby formula was created as part of an experiment as part of CELSS (Closed Environment Life Support System) program for NASA. This was to see if algae could be used as a recycling agent for long-duration space travel.
• Artificial Hearts - Space shuttle fuel pumps would later lead to the development of a miniaturized ventricular assist pump by NASA. This tiny pump (only 5cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter and weighing only 113 grams) would yield a much-needed solution to various debilitating cardiac diseases.
• Landmine Removal - Space Shuttle Rocket Fuel turns out to be great for ridding the world of one of the many leftovers of brutal wars - Landmines. The devices burn through the outer casing of mines and neutralize the explosives inside.

However, Australia is approaching a recessionary period that is likely to reduce spending across numerous industries and/or initiatives, and it could be argued by many, that the Space Industry will take the first hit. I mean, after all, the United States and our alliance partners have been helping us for over 50 years. So, the Space Industry should be deprioritized right? Wrong. You may regard this industry and discretionary spend, but there are aspects that are critical.?

Because Space Is Actually Important

However, it is just as important to ask yourself – is there a return on this investment (ROI)? It’s easy to think that there isn’t – putting man on the moon, is cool, but so what? Well, whilst it is very difficult to put a figure on everything, such as inspiration, when one does quantify the ROI, the statistics are quite compelling. For every dollar invested into NASA there is an estimated return and economic boost of approximately $7 to $14 from spinoffs and licensing. This figure is old, from 2014, but you can just imagine what this would be now, given the appeal the Space domain has received within this decade.

Whilst aspects of the Space Industry may and should be deprioritized, there are aspects, such as those listed below that need to remain a top priority – and these underpinning reasons already have other story lines and narratives:

• Earth observation – For Climate Change. Australia needs to play a part in this global movement, not just for our nation but for the world.
• Defence programs – For National Security. Given the escalating geopolitical tensions and the need for Australia to retain a sovereign capability, this becomes critical. This does bring a multitude of other aspects such as sovereign launch and space domain awareness.
• Astronautics – For engagement and life sciences. This is arguably the one area that inspires us all. But it’s just as important for life sciences.
• Robotics – Our unique capability. Australia is the leader in Robotics and Remote Operations. We can progress this to help those around the world in a multitude of scenarios.

So let us return to the notion that we don’t need Space, or rather, let us think what would happen if the Space domain suddenly disappeared. If we suddenly removed our reliance on Space…

• Our telecommunications networks will go down
• Our weather forecasting capabilities will be non-existent
• Our ability to financially transact will disappear
• Our navigational systems – both on land and in air – will be non-functional

And if we never relied on Space at all…

• Our life sciences would not be as rich as it is today
• Our technologies would not be as advanced not will it be fit for purpose
• We would arguably be in a state of vulnerability
• And the most important one of all, we would never have inspired our nation, our world, our humanity, to best that we could be

We come back to the title of this article, Not Another Space Activity! Do we even need it? The answer is yes. So much of our lives are dependent upon it. Maybe not quite the aspects that will get us to Mars and beyond, but everything else that exist to date.

And whilst the recessionary environment may make decision makers to cut it right out of the budget allocations, think to yourselves, would you be where you are today if it wasn’t for what Space has led us to. Realistically Space is all around us, we’re already reliant, it just may not seem so. But Space is important. To what we have, do, and use today. To what we will have and envisage for the future.?

One People. One Planet. One Future.