The SRI Frequently Asked Questions

The SRI Frequently Asked Questions

The very reasons why SRI exists
Release 2.1 – August 27th 2021

Structure:

QUESTIONS

The Why

1. The Historic and long term WHY
2. The short-mid term WHY

The How

3. The way SRI works

ANSWERS

The Because

1. The historic long term Because
To learn more about the SRI long term “Why”

2. The short-mid term Because
To learn more about the SRI mid-short term “why”

3. The way SRI works

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1. The Historic and long term WHY

2. The short-mid term WHY

3. The way SRI works

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1. The historic long term Because

1.1. Space Renaissance (SRI) exists because:

1. Because “Earth is the cradle of mankind, but one cannot live the whole life in a cradle” (Konstantin Tsiolkowky)
2. We, humans, are the only hope of this planet to be something more than a meteor in infinite space…
3. Because in order to resolve the environmental issues we need more Science and Technology, and not less
4. Because SRI defends a concept of Possible Development, based on the analysis of the limits of our world, in order to exceed them in clever ways
5. Because only SRI defends a concrete concept of Humanity, namely almost eight billion of living people
6. Because SRI defends all the conquests of the human thought (cultural, scientifical, moral, technological, civil) and their character, exquisitely “artificial”, not natural and not spontaneous
7. Because SRI is the best advocate of Human Kind and its development as a cultural and sentient species
8. Because SRI defends the analytical study of the Nature, in order to understand its functioning and to copy its mechanisms
9. Because SRI defends the human thought, as the maximum expression of the life on this planet
10. Because SRI is the best advocate of the Right to the Future for all the inhabitants of the planet Earth, that’s the right to generate and grow their children, in better life conditions
11. Because SRI is the best advocate of the scientific method as main road, to solve the problems of human kind
12. Because SRI doesn’t share nor think possible any aim of going back to mythical, fully illusory, natural Edens
13. Because SRI strongly fights the acceptance of the limits of our actual world and their presumed impassability
14. Because SRI doesn’t share the concept of Sustainable Development limited within the Planet Earth’s boundaries
15. Because SRI strongly fights the idea that the Scientific and Technological Research are culpable of the environmental issues
16. Because SRI strongly fights the numerical down sizing of the human kind, advocated by many anti-human Malthusian movements.
17. Because SRI is the best advocate of the survival and continuation of the development of the human kind, even over the limits imposed by the nature of this planet
18. Because SRI promotes a concept of the human kind as the only responsible species, owning the means and the capabilities of a moral reasoning, to exercise its responsibility towards its own species and the other sentient species
19. Because SRI prizes human intelligence as the highest manifestation of nature
20. Because SRI thinks that we are immersed in a cosmic natural environment, not only in an Earthly one.
21. Because SRI works hard for the full valorization of the whole human heritage
22. Because SRI is the only group that is uniquely focused on letting a senior civilian to have the possibility to walk on the Moon.
23. Because humanity needs a strong philosophic defender

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1.2 SRI refers to the historic Renaissance of the 15th Century because:

1. As a new Space Renaissance we trace our roots back to the Renaissance of the 1500s.
2. As in 1500, our civilization needs a new age of sponsorship, by the richest families of the world, to support and fund a new renaissance: the renaissance of civilization in outer space.
3. In 1500, civilization woke up from the long cultural night of the Middle Ages, armed itself with an enlightened mind and new views on the importance of human life, and focused on the development of solutions to human needs and aims.
4. With the enlightened patronage of such families as the Medicis, an unprecedented new age of development took place: arts knew a wonderful age of innovation, culture took on some essential principles of classical Greek philosophy, and modern science was born, with men like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and later on Copernicus and Galileo Galilei leading the way.
5. This movement later led to the Age of Enlightenment and its most famous offspring: the American and French Revolutions and their respective Constitutions
6. The writings of Descartes, Voltaire, Thomas Jefferson, and other influential thinkers; and the essential belief that: a) All humans are equal and valuable. b) Freedom, liberty, and reason must be the basis of society. c) Political power should reside with the common person, not with kings or nobles.
7. With the growth of industrialization and of humanity’s numbers to near eight billion, the revolutionary boost of the Enlightenment Age came to its end, showing its main ideological limits: the erroneous assumption that the world is finite, bounded to Planet Earth.
8. This assumption has led to centuries of warfare, with nations fighting over resources (sometimes using a thin veneer of religion, political philosophy, or other justification as a fig leaf).
9. Today, in the 21st century, a quite new vision of the world is needed, thus we call for a new renaissance, a Space Renaissance!
10. The world is not finite, it is not bounded to Planet Earth; during the Twentieth Century space flight took its first hesitant steps thanks to some enlightened scientists and philosophers such as Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Krafft Ehricke, Gerard O’Neill, and others.
11. These men were the fathers of the philosophical current that we call Astronautic Humanism; thanks to them and the ideas they have given us, we live in a season of great progress in science and technology…one that lacks only resources and a unifying vision before it will transform the modern world as the Renaissance and the Enlightenment transformed the old.
12. We want to focus on humans and their needs and aims again.
13. Our concern is for all of the almost seven billion humans living on Earth today.
14. We care for their aims and for their rights to a better future and living conditions,
15. we want to give them a hope that their children will have better living conditions and, most of all, will have a future – this is our humanism.
16. We think that each human person, wherever born, is precious, since anyone could have the idea or make the discovery that solves some critical problem.
17. Real wealth is not found in money, but in new technologies, new solutions and the potential for work: with 8 billion intelligences, humanity has never been so rich!

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1.3 SRI is defined as a philosophic association because:

1. Success = Simplicity = Science AND Philosophy
2. Science here includes science, engineering, technology, management, psychology, …
3. Philosophy includes…. philosophy, i.e. a discussion on the future of humanity and civilization, and what should be our global priorities
4. In our studies we understood that civilization is not poor in science, but it is missing a strong philosophical update
5. SRI wants to refund the general philosophy, completing the Kopernican revolution
6. Triggering a total change in the conception of the world: from closed world to open world

1.4 Expanding into space is the higher priority, for Mankind, because:

1. Because only among the stars can we truly be free
2. Not to keep all of our eggs in one only basket
3. Because the resources of Planet Earth are not infinite, and will not last forever for any number of us
4. Because 8 billion people, and counting, cannot make it on one only planet
5. Because the current global crisis is caused by our impetuous growth in a closed environment
6. Because we need new industries, to create new jobs
7. Space is The Answer to all of the Civilization global problems
8. Space development has the potential to create millions of jobs and generate prosperity.
9. Space resources have the potential to solve our energy and material needs.
10. Space development on a massive scale will significantly contribute to global political stability as it will provide a growing economy and continuously growing markets, and it will require the cooperation and participation of all nations and peoples.
11. Space development is the best way to understand the terrestrial and cosmic environment, our role in the Solar System and our place in the cosmos at large.
12. Space technologies facilitate our global communication and transport systems, they allow us to predict and mitigate the effects of natural disasters, they will allow us to understand the ecology of Earth, comparing it with other planetary ecologies.
13. Expansion into space can save humanity from extinction. If we establish permanent, selfsufficient colonies on the Moon, Mars, and the asteroids, it will no longer be possible for all of humanity to be wiped out by a single event.

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1.5 SRI doesn’t think the “overpopulation” is an issue, because:

1. Overpopulation is a Malthusian concept. SRI doesn’t use it. We think that the current global crisis is due to human species growth in a closed system. Human beings are never “too many”.
2. If the family is grown, we need to enlarge our home, not to kill brothers and children.

1.6 SRI doesn’t want to “move billion people in space at once”, because:

1. The kick-off of civilian space development will not move billion people in few years.
2. The civilian space development will take many decades to consolidate.
3. All of the current global issues will still be with us for many years.
4. But the civilian space development will light the hope in a better future.
5. That’s the real difference: young people will be inspired to work and fight for a better future.

1.7 SRI doesn’t want a space revolution, because:

1. SRI is working for a renaissance, not a revolution.
2. A revolution is violent, while a renaissance is pacific and creative.

1.8 SRI doesn’t want to “escape Earth”, instead of solving the problems here, because:

1. SRI promotes expansion of the civilization in a greater ecological niche, not to abandon Planet Earth
2. SRI promotes relocating the heavy industry in the geo-lunar space, transforming Planet Earth in a beautiful natural garden

1.9 Space Renaissance Initiative and Space Renaissance International, because:

1. The Space Renaissance Initiative was founded in 2008, as a movement, calling all of the space humanists to join their efforts
2. The Space Renaissance International was incorporated in 2010, in Torino (Italy), as a not for profit association, for constituting a legal framework, to recruit membership worldwide, collecting funds, developing projects

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To learn more about the SRI long term “Why”, also read:

- - The SRI founding papers:
  - The Space Renaissance Philosophy papers (full list), namely:
  - Space Renaissance Pilosophy Books (full list), namely:
    - “A greater world is possible: the expansion of civilization beyond the limits of our home planet is the moral issue of our time” (Amazon) – Ch 1 Morals are concrete and they apply to concrete subjects, not to abstract entities, Ch 3 Technology and Morals, Ch 4 The environmental question, Ch 5 Refutation of the de-growthist doctrine
    - “Three Theses for the Space Renaissance” (Amazon)
    - The first SRI World Congress, 2011 (full docs)
    - “From Space Exploration to Space Settlement” (Amazon)
    - The second SRI World Congress, 2016 (full docs)

2. The short-mid term Because

2.1 SRI strongly recommends kicking-off civilian space development before 2030 because:

1. Because the historic window favorable to the expanse could quickly close under the strokes of global recurrent crisis, should we keep on growing in the closed world
2. The Space Renaissance is very urgent; we cannot afford to wait to start working for it.
3. A new, great, renaissance is within our grasp; the decision is up to us, the almost eight billion intelligent beings who populate Planet Earth.
4. The prize will be a genuinely wealthy, fully inclusive, open society of free individuals and communities – and we can catch this prize in the lifetime of people being born today…if only we reach for it.
5. Because space travellers shouldn’t be astronauts, just as like airlines travellers are not pilots nor stuarts/hostesses. For such urgent evolutionary step to be implemented, we need civilian space enabling technologies to be higher priority.

2.2 The enabling technologies for civilian space development are the higher priority before 2030, because:

1. Because the real missing ring between space exploration and space settlement is to transport and accommodate civilian passengers in space
2. Because the enabling technologies for civilian space development are a fantastic opportunity for relaunching the global economy at unprecedented pace
3. Because only accelerating the development of enabling technologies for civilian space development we will change the paradigm, from space exploration to space settlement

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2.3 Planet Earth’s environmental issues will be solved only expanding into space, because:

1. Because de-growth will just accelerate civilization implosion, without solving any problem
2. SRI promotes a strategy of active countermeasures to mitigate the effects of the global crisis, vs. a strategy of de-growth
3. Because the environment of Planet Earth should be relieved from the burden of our industrial development
4. Because there is no planet B, but we have an entire solar systems, enormous asteroids resources and solar energy, basic life components in asteroids and comets
5. De-growth is the worst endo-threat, a philosophic threat.
6. De-growthers are not humanist, though many of them think to be, since they haven’t seen the real consequences of degroth, yet.

2.4 A change of paradigm, from space exploration to space settlement is the higher priority, because:

1. Because we could keep on making space exploration for other 50 years, and the high frontier remain closed
2. Because likely there will be no more funds for space exploration, if the civilian space development will not be kicked-off during the next 10 years, revamping the globalized economy
3. Because expansion/settlement is a progressive spherical social and industrial process, not a number of round trip missions.

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2.5 Why freedom, democracy and ethics can grow only in the outer space?

1. Because civilization needs a new great horizon of development
2. Because the green revolution will be useless, without a new great horizon of development: the outer space
3. Because the big number of humans is our richness, not our ruin
4. Because 8 billion of intelligent beings are our greatest richness
5. Because people are intelligent heads, not just mouths to feed
6. Because the abundance of resources of the Solar System will reduce and eventually eliminate the reasons for resource wars and social conflicts
7. Because youngs need big projects, to be motivated and have an hope in the future
8. Because freedom, democracy, ethics, only can grow in a context of abundance of resources
9. Because the only sustainable development is in outer space
10. Because the expanse in the solar system will raise the greatest cultural evolution of all times
11. Because cultural differentiated societies (diaspora) will favor both cultural and genetical evolution
12. Because in a growing civilization good ideas will grow too
13. Because only a growing economy gives growing opportunities of business and work
14. Because only the abundant resources of the solar system can assure a continuous economic growth and growing markets
15. Because the claimed “wise administration of scarce resources” only leads to authoritarianism and dictatorship

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2.6 SRI wants to go to space “before resolving the problems here on Earth” because:

1. Because all of the current global issues are due to the human growth in a closed world
2. Because none terrestrial problem will be solved, if we will not expand into space
3. Because all terrestrial problems can only get worse, if we will not begin expanding into space

2.7 SRI thinks we can afford the high cost of civilization expansion into space, because:

1. Money are just an accountancy mean, bits in the servers of the banks, the real richness are resources, human know-how, capability of work
2. Abundant resources can be found only in space, and the whole human heritage can be properly developed only in space
3. Money grow up and decrease according to Stock Exchange, and Stock Exchange moves up and down according to the financial optimistic or pessimistic forecasts: space development is the best generator of optimism
4. The cost of non expanding into space are very much higher

2.8 Our life and health will be challenged by the hard space conditions, but we can work on that:

1. Being a humanist association, SRI pays much attention to human aspects, namely to human life and health protection, in the frame of civilian space development
2. SRI promotes higher priority to enabling technologies for civilian space development:
  - Low cost fully reusable civilian transportation in space
  - Low acceleration during Earth-orbit and return
  - Safe re-enter in the atmosphere
  - Protection against cosmic radiations
  - Artificial gravity in the space habitats
  - Green environments and farming in the space habitats
3. SRI designates the O’Neill model, based on big rotating artificial infrastructures located in orbit and in the Lagrange Points, as the best habitat conditions, for human living.
4. Artificial gravity 1G is better, vs. 1/6 gravity on the Moon surface or 1/3 gravity on Mars surface. That’s why the O’Neill model is better than any model based on the surface of planets having a size (and gravity) different from the Earth’s one.
5. Such condition will avoid dramatic and quick changes in human shape and physiology.

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**2.9 SRI insists on the concept of civilian space development, because:**

1. 1. SRI promotes the end of the military monopoly on space.
  2. Only when commercial activities will be allowed in space, the high frontier will be truly open.
  3. Military shouldn’t take over space, or they could prevent civilian space settlement.
  4. To date, space has been almost solely the province of governments, with only limited access available to private enterprise.
  5. It is time to open the high frontier to the engines of free enterprise.
  6. Only in this way can we all reap the vast benefits of space – cheap, clean, plentiful energy, material wealth beyond our current imagination, plentiful living space, and more.
  7. Despite being the province of government – which is not known for being profit-focused – profits are already demonstrable from space activities.

2.10 The urgent need to expand into space is an “inconvenient” truth…

1. Yes and not, since it is a hard duty, but an evolutionary one.

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To learn more about the SRI mid-short term “why”, also read:

- - The Space Renaissance Philosophy papers (full list), namely:
  - Recent articles and newsletters in SRI Blog:

3. The way SRI works

3.1 The ways you can help SRI

1. By registering as a member
2. By donating to the Medici Fund (monthly recurrent or one-shot)
3. By volunteering some hours of yours to develop our tasks

3.2 The way to register as a member

1. By our online membership registration form

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3.3 How can i fund SRI in its activities and development?

1. By registering as a member (see above)
2. By donating to the Medici Fund (see above)
3. By signing a sponsor agreement with SRI (write us at info (at) spacerenaissance (dot) org</li>
4. By making a big donation using direct bank transfer

3.4 SRI offers several benefits in exchange of the membership fee

1. See here the list of benefits and privileges of the SRI Members

3.5 What is the international structure of SRI?

1. SRI is structured as an international cultural association, incorporated in Italy
2. SRI national groups endowed with minimum 5 registered members and a coordinator/chair can apply for constituing a local chapter
3. Currently (April 2020), there are two incorporated chapters in the USA and in Italy; a working SRI group also exists in India

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3.6 The initiatives that SRI undertakes

1. SRI holds a world congress each 5 years, issueing a call for papers, discussing congressual theses and approving a final motion
2. SRI develops position papers — science and technology, philosophy, politicy, social, economy — on the main issues of civilian space development
3. SRI holds national congresses wherever there are enough resources — both human and financial — to organize and develop
4. SRI develops an intense presence on social network, such as Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter
5. SRI organizes social events
6. SRI organizes public events, conferences, flash-mobs, talks on media
7. SRI develops livestreams and podcasts for SRI Radio / TV
8. SRI offers internships opportunities to students and young graduates
9. SRI offers mentorship opportunities to graduating students
10. SRI organizes Arts Events and Contexts
11. SRI surveys the New Space and Aerospace industry world wide
12. SRI interacts with relevant space people world wide
13. SRI develops outreach towards non-space communities about civilian expansion into outer space
14. SRI members write articles on local media about civilian expansion into space

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3.7 SRI has a preferred social stakeholder: young people and students

1. SRI offers internships opportunities to students and young graduates
2. SRI offers mentorship opportunities to graduating students
3. SRI helps young graduates to find jobs in space
4. Please check the Space Renaissance Academy Program for more information
5. SRI organizes Arts Events and Contexts
6. SRI surveys the New Space and Aerospace industry world wide
7. SRI realizes webinars on several disciplines, connected to civilian space development

3.8 Another prime stakeholder of SRI are startups and New Space companies

1. SRI offers networking activities, to foster synergistic activities among New Space Companies, Universities, Research Centres
2. SRI facilitates young graduates to reach New Space Companies, for jobs and internships
3. SRI helps startups to enter the New Space market
4. SRI help non-space technological companies to enter the New Space market

3.9 The main SRI effort is spreading the space renaissance concepts in the society

1. SRI seeks renaissance people in the whole society, not only in the Space Community
2. SRI brings the renaissance concepts to many communities of the real world: social and political parties, schools, universities, research centres, scientific and humanist societies, cultural associations, humanitarian associations, wherever an interest for humanity can be found, doesn’t matter if secular or religious

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3.10 The SRI education infrastructures?

1. The SRI education mission is developed by the Space Renaissance Academy
2. The SR Academy is a program of SRI

3.11 The disciplines that SRI is developing in its education and research plan

1. The Space Renaissance Philosophy
2. The New Space Industry and Market
3. The Space Economy
4. The social aspects of Civilian Space Development
5. History of Science, Astronautics, Astronomy
6. Exo-Arts
7. Comparative studies on aero and space engineering, human expansion, earthly and space frontiers
8. Exo-sciences and Techniques, enabling the civilian space development: protection against cosmic radiations, artificial gravity, comfortable and safe space vehicles, green environments in space habitats
9. Quality and Maturity: project management, system engineering, standards rationalization, process maturity

13.2 Yes, you are right, SRI is not easy nor immediate to understand

1. Our society of eight billion people is extremely complex, the global issues we are experimenting are very much complex: did you expect solutions were easy?
2. We do our very best to make our message simple, sexy and attractive, but it is a hard work: complexity can be reduced to a certain degree of simplicity, but that degree could however keep on being complex
3. Albert Einstein said: “the solution to any problem should be as much simple as possible”, and often the simplest possible solution is however complex
4. However, you don’t need to be a scientist, nor to have a QI > 130, to work with us and give your precious contribute! 🙂
5. Of course scientists are welcome, as well as philosophers, humanists, artists, but we also welcome “normal” people: workers, teachers, students
6. The only things we ask you are: availabilty to understand, to read our concepts and keep them in your mind, also trying to connect one each other, understanding the big picture we are trying to communicate, i.e. why humanity desperately needs to become a spacefaring civilization, living in the Solar System
7. That means that our members should be able to read, understand concepts, put them in relation each other and with the everydays reality
8. Our members should also be available to study, taking profit of the many documents and papers that we make available for free, on our websites
9. You might find the above a bit of a bad news, but the good news is that intelligence can be cultivated and trained, as any other human capacity, and that is primarily in your interest, and interest of your species, just as a second choice! 🙂

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Didn’t you find here answer to your questions? Then write us what you’re missing!

For all contributors, this is a work in progress. Please:

- send us your additional questions and answers to: info (at) spacerenaissance (dot) org
- send us your comments to existing questions and answers (same as above)