TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapters 7, 8, and 9 are written from the perspective of the year 2057, the 100th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1 and the centenary of the Space Age. They offer three different views of how the future might turn out for space exploration and development under certain premises.
This second scenario assumes that strict policies of control and protection are instigated and enforced.
Keynote Speech to the 108th International Astronautical Congress
Baghdad International Conference Center, Iraq
October 2057
Mr. President, honored guests, and delegates, it is October 2057, and the Space Age is 100 years of age. A centenary such as this should be worthy of extensive celebration, at least among the space professionals gathered here today, but is it really worth raising a glass for?
In 1957, for those of our forebears with sufficient foresight, the potential for space exploration and development seemed as infinite as the universe itself. There were countless discoveries to be made, countless new worlds to conquer, and countless ways to make money from what we now call the space environment.
Today, however, there are many who would argue that the human race has failed to recognize that potential and, by constructing an almost impenetrable barrier of rules and regulations, has restricted its opportunities and quashed its entrepreneurial spirit.
So, how did we get to where we are today?
Although the problems of orbital debris and their possible solutions were discussed at length in the late 20th century, at...
