I am elated that the 32nd International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in San Diego has chosen as its theme “Global Collaboration in 21st Century Space.” This is a topic I cherish, one that I have actively promoted for now nearly one quarter of a century, in India and abroad, to a wide variety of audiences. I have been advocating a World Space Vision 2050 for more than a decade in many national and international aerospace forums, structured to enable mankind formulate and implement:
1. Large Scale Societal missions (including Space Solar Power mission] enabled by low cost access to space
2. Evolution of a comprehensive space security doctrine, policy and programme
3. Expansion of Space exploration and current application missions
Such a World Space Vision 2050 would enhance the quality of human life, inspire the spirit of international collaborative space exploration, expand the horizons of knowledge, and ensure space security for all nations of the world.
There are many initiatives, potential research studies in India, US and other space faring nations which have now brought together India and US to work on the mission of harvesting energy from space with the pioneering effort taken by NSS. I cherish sharing my perspectives with Mark Hopkins, Chairman NSS and his team from ISDC 2010 where I delivered an Address on the topic “Harvesting Solar Energy from Space”. I was glad that by mid-2010 we could sign off an understanding to start up an international SSP Feasibility Study with the initiative of “Kalam-NSS Space based Solar Power initiative”. We need to set a new direction and pace to accelerate our progress further on this mission, setting significant milestones amidst the many global challenges, socio-economic as well political challenges. However, the world today is not the same as it was a few years ago.
Every nation and also the space faring nations are going through certain socio economic challenges, there is limited time and resources available for these nations to give priority for the big mission like space based solar powered satellite. However the nations have certain essential initial step towards realising this bigger mission.
In India, the need for space based solar power stations was identified as far back as 1993 in anticipation of the emerging global energy crisis of the 21st century. Since then, indeed earlier from 1987, work has been carried out in India on advanced space transportation system design concepts for affordable space solar power. India’s vision is to bring down the cost of access to space to less than $2000 per orbital kilogram initially.
Considering the magnitude of the looming energy and environmental problems, a strong view has emerged that the situation faced by India warrants consideration of all energy options, including the concept of SSP. ISRO has recently carried out some preliminary concept studies on SSP and examined three SSP configurations. ISRO has also welcomed an International Preliminary Feasibility Study and are aware that this would call for strong and long-term cooperation between institutions in every nation blended into an International R&D programme for SSP.
In the USA, by 1995, NASA took a “Fresh Look” at Space Solar power, in the light of several advances made in systems architectures, solar cell weight and efficiency, light weight array structures and concluded that the state-of-art technology was adequate to establish cost-effective SSP systems. I commend National Space Society for an impressive list of library of documentation on solar power from space.
In Japan, throughout 1990’s, Japan has made quite, significant studies in advancing specific technologies for space solar power system for Japan, that has the same population density and hence land availability constraints as India. On 28 June 2009, Japan announced its goals for an operational $21 billion SSP programme.
In China, at their recent International SSP Conference in Sichuan, it has been emphasised that space based solar power stations are now vital because, the rapid economic development in China has brought a rate of expansion in energy demand that is explosive and unprecedented in recent human history. Similarly, Europe and Russia have great potential and core competence in space technology for participation in the world space solar mission.
The energy situation and its influence on development, economy and quality of life have touched every nation as evidenced by the statements of the leaders of various nations at different levels. Each nation recognising the need is trying to draw plans, enhance research and invest for improving the energy security and independence. While it is important to concentrate on every aspect of renewable energy sources including terrestrial solar energy, space community has a great potential to lead to nearly a continuous unlimited energy source. Hence every nation needs a great vision, bigger than its own people, bigger than the nation, to move the world away from a potential energy crisis in the 21st century. So can we the space community now together share our perspectives and evolve such a vision that should be greater than any other vision so far envisioned by humanity? That is clean energy from space solar power for 24×7.
So far, in all known history, international visions, missions and programmes have been earth based: like in areas of food and agriculture, commerce and trade, education and culture, humanitarian aid to mitigate natural and man-made disasters etc.
Can we conceive and implement, as a historically first, epoch making happening, a new vision for international collaboration in space? The benefits from such a great vision shall be tangible to each one of the world’s population and bring together all human feelings and thoughts, from the most material to the most spiritual, leading on to a Liveable Planet Earth through Space Industrialisation. This means a sustainable world where we have taken less from nature than what we have given to it.
Such a mission in space industrialisation could start up with an intensely human international mission in societal-critical areas of energy, water, environment and security, which would expand over the decades and centuries to all other human needs and activities on planet earth through space exploration and a new order in space through space security. I think there cannot be a greater vision for all nations other than transforming our terrestrial habitat into a liveable planet earth through international collaboration in space.
From my perspective, I believe that the driving force towards a liveable planet is the common threats and opportunities that all nations face. These threats to a liveable planet earth are:
1. Massive shortages, escalating costs of energy and rapidly depleting fossil fuel reserves world over.
This is among the most serious challenges faced by the world of nations. The global solution to this is achieving Energy Independence globally which such a space industrial mission can deliver.
It may be recalled that the US National Security Space Office (NSSO) study concluded in October of 2007 that “The magnitude of the looming energy and environmental problems is significant enough to warrant consideration of all options, to include … space-based solar power.” This NSSO report also concluded that SSP has “enormous potential for energy security, economic development, improved environmental stewardship, advancement of general space faring, and overall national security for those nations who construct and possess a (SSP) capability.”
2. Global environment degradation and climate change.
Among the greatest risks to the environment is presented by massive coal mining, deforestation, over fishing, unsustainable agriculture, mega dams on rivers. Burning coal and oil/natural gas is said to be the cause of climate change, but mining for the valuable resource endangers local ecosystems as well. Even though the era of wood has ended, massive deforestation continues to create more agricultural land to cultivate grain for humans as well as livestock for rapidly expanding populations.
3. Depletion of Mineral Resources.
Fossil fuels are not the only material that are depleting world over. Rapid technological growth, over-consumption and industrial development over the last 200 years has resulted in meta-depletion of the world’s non-renewable mineral resources. Habitats have been degraded leading to the loss of biodiversity (i.e. species and ecosystems). In the longer term the search for extra-terrestrial sources of minerals would become inevitable not just due to scarcity of minerals, but the environmental degradation that has taken place. This leads to space colonisation and mining on asteroids and planetary bodies
I am glad that ISDC 2013 has had talks on asteroids, living in Space, Space Solar Power, Space Settlements Trans-humanism and Space Exploration. It is clear to us now that our planet has to be liveable before it can be prosperous; and it has it be both liveable and prosperous before we can dream of peace and freedom from insecurity.
The basic and most compelling need now is obviously liveability. However, the process of making our now devastated planet liveable again even when supporting a population growing from 7 to 11 billion by the turn of the 21st Century is a necessary but not a sufficient condition to obtain prosperity and peace for mankind.
Fundamental parameters for prosperity and peace include trade and economics, security, health and sustained, ever continuing education of humanity. These four parameters connect the world with a compounding positive effect, meaning that well-being of one nation on these parameters imply the well-being of every other nation as well.
This is part of ThePrint’s Great Speeches series. It features speeches and debates that shaped modern India.