SRI Frequently Asked Questions

The very reasons why SRI exists
Release 1.0 – March 22nd 2020

For all contributors, this is a work in progress.
If you want to add your comments, questions and answers, please write to info@spacerenaissance.org.

Questions (the WHY)

1. Why does Space Renaissance (SRI) exist?
2. Why expanding into space is the higher priority, for mankind?
3. Why SRI strongly recommends kicking-off civilian space development before 2030?
4. Why the enabling technologies for civilian space development are the higher priority before 2030?
5. Why Planet Earth’s environmental issues will be solved only expanding into space?
6. Why a change of paradigm, from space exploration to space settlement is the higher priority?
7. Why freedom, democracy and ethics can grow only in the outer space?
8. Why SRI wants to go to space “before resolving the problems here on Earth”?
9. Does SRI want to “escape Earth”, instead of solving the problems here?
10. How do SRI think we can afford the high cost of civilization expansion into space?
11. How will our life and health be challenged by the hard space conditions?
12. How does SRI think to solve the overpopulation issue?
13. SRI wants to move billion people in space?

Answers (the BECAUSE)

1.  Why does Space Renaissance (SRI) exist?

1. 1. 1. Because in order to resolve the environmental issues we need more Science and Technology, and not less
      2. 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
      3. Because only SRI defends a concrete concept of Human Kind, namely almost eight billion of living people
      4. 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
      5. Because SRI is the best advocate of Human Kind and its development as a cultural and sentient species
      6. Because SRI defends the analytical study of the Nature, in order to understand its functioning and to copy its mechanisms
      7. Because SRI defends the human thought, as the maximum expression of the life on this planet
      8. 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
      9. Because SRI is the best advocate of the scientific method as main road, to solve the problems of human kind
      10. Because SRI doesn’t share nor think possible any aim of going back to mythical, fully illusory, natural Edens
      11. Because SRI strongly fights the acceptance of the limits of our actual world and their presumed impassability
      12. Because SRI doesn’t share the concept of Sustainable Development limited within the Planet Earth’s boundaries
      13. Because SRI strongly fights the idea that the Scientific and Technological Research are culpable of the environmental issues
      14. Because SRI strongly fights the numerical down sizing of the human kind, advocated by many anti-human Malthusian movements.
      15. 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
      16. 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
      17. Because SRI prizes human intelligence as the highest manifestation of nature
      18. Because SRI thinks that we are immersed in a cosmic natural environment, not only in an Earthly one.
      19. Because SRI works hard for the full valorization of the whole human heritage
      20. Because SRI is the only group that is uniquely focused on letting a senior civilian to have the possibility to walk on the Moon
      21. Because humanity needs a strong philosophic defender

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2.  Why expanding into space is the higher priority, for mankind?

1. 1. Not to keep all of our eggs in one only basket
   2. Because the resources of Planet Earth are not infinite, and will not last forever for any number of us
   3. Because only among the stars can we truly be free
   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

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3.  Why SRI strongly recommends kicking-off civilian space development before 2030?

1. Because space travellers shouldn’t be astronauts, just as like airlines travellers are not pilots nor stuarts/hostesses
2. 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

4.  Why the enabling technologies for civilian space development are the higher priority before 2030?

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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5.  Why Planet Earth’s environmental issues will be solved only expanding into space?

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 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

6.  Why a change of paradigm, from space exploration to space settlement is the higher priority?

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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7.  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, 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
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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8.  Why SRI wants to go to space “before resolving the problems here on Earth”?

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

9.  Does SRI want to “escape Earth”, instead of solving the problems here?

1. SRI promotes expansion of the civilization, 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

10.   How do SRI think we can afford the high cost of civilization expansion into space?

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

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11.    How will our life and health be challenged by the hard space conditions?

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:
   1. Low cost fully reusable civilian transportation in space
   2. Low acceleration during Earth-orbit and return
   3. Safe re-enter in the atmosphere
   4. Protection against cosmic radiations
   5. Artificial gravity in the space habitats
   6. 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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12.    How does SRI think to solve the overpopulation issue?

1. The 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.

13.   SRI wants to move billion people in space?

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

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