What we mean by “Civilian Space Development”

A friend recently asked me “what do we mean by civilian space development”.Such a question made me understand that, maybe, we were not clear enough about the title of our congress, the Civilian Space Development. Following such understanding, I tried to draw a better rationale, aware that what we wrote was not that self-explanatory as we thought.

It was observed that NASA is a civilian agency, not a military one. And that the commercial space effort is civilian process, not a military one.

Well, when we talk about “civilian” space development, we are not simply suggesting a non military concept of space development. We are rather talking about enabling and bootstrapping the human space settlement, going over the age of space exploration.

In fact, we don’t need to discuss the military or non military setup of the space development. We know that military, as well as all of the other human activities, will expand to space, whatever we like it or not.

But that is definitely not the point: the point is humanity being limited to astronautical space exploration or to be free to expand civilization and settle in space.

In the space exploration paradigm, space travel is allowed only to trained astronauts: the existing vehicles and habitats only allow trained astronauts to travel and stay in space, for a limited time, as required by space exploration mission requirements.

Remaining at zero gravity for more than 6-8 months, anyone will incur in serious health issues. And we underline anyone, including trained astronauts: see the Scott Kelly’s dramatic testimony in his beautiful book “Endurance”, about his one year long journey on the International Space Station. In such a book, Scott talks with great sincerity about his deep love for space – a goal he pursued all of his life – and the great danger to which our fragile bodies and health are exposed, while traveling and staying in space.

But, even to travel on an airplane, at 10.000 meters altitude, would have been mortal for the first aviation vehicles, construed by wood and canvas… The issues, as we know very well, is solvable by means of science and technology development.

Civilian space development primarily relates to the development of appropriate transportation and accommodation technologies, to enable civilian passengers and settlers to travel, live and work in outer space.

Civilian space development also relates to the extension of civilian rights beyond Earth’s atmosphere, the protection of life and health, as well as civilian freedoms, and the rights of all citizen, similar to the rights, warranties and insurance owned by any airlines or ships traveler.

The cost of space travel is still too high, though finally we have brave new space entrepreneurs, working hard to lower it.

We need low-cost, fully reusable, safe and comfortable vehicles, protection against cosmic radiations, artificial gravity, green environments in the habitats.

In few words, we need to kick-off the Civilian Space Development as soon as possible, that’s a new strategy, quite different from space exploration. We believe that such strategic address doesn’t have the proper priority, in the plans of the spacefaring nations. This congress will try to help recovering such a delay.

Also see the Civilian Space Protocol initiative.

Everyone is warmly invited to check the 2021 Space Renaissance Call for Papers, register to the congress, and possibly submit a paper abstract.