Corporates and governments are joining the race to exploit extraterrestrial resources in the face of dwindling natural capital on Earth
An obvious solution to enabling a sustainable future is to consume less. This is a laudable goal but in a society driven by consumption, its not an achievable one. The worlds population needs to both consume less and expand its resource base and seeking energy and raw materials from space is one way to do this.
But surely this could never be economically viable? At todays prices perhaps not. Yet in 20 years it is a safe prediction that increasing scarcity will have driven up the cost of energy and many critical metals by at least 10 or 20 times in real terms. Space access technologies will also have improved. By the 2030s or 2040s, obtaining extraterrestrial resources will be cost effective. Some companies and governments have recognised this future reality and are making ambitious plans.
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