Space and survival is the idea that the long-term survival of the human species and technological civilization requires the building of a spacefaring civilization that utilizes the resources of outer space,[1] and that not doing this might lead to human extinction. A related observation is that the window of opportunity for doing this may be limited due to the decreasing amount of surplus resources that will be available over time as a result of an ever-growing population.[2]
The earliest appearance of a connection between space exploration and human survival appears in Louis J. Halle, Jr.'s 1980 article in Foreign Affairs, in which he stated colonization of space will keep humanity safe should global nuclear warfare occur.[3] This idea has received more attention in recent years as advancing technology in the form of reusable launch vehicles and combination launch systems make affordable space travel more feasible.[4]
- ^ Curreri, Peter A.; Detweiler, Michael K. (December 2011). "A Contemporary Analysis of the O'Neill-Glaser Model for Space-based Solar Power and Habitat Construction". NSS Space Settlement Journal: 1–27.
- ^ Rees, Martin (2003). Our Final Hour. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-06862-6. (UK title: Our Final Century)
- ^ Halle, Louis J. (1980-07-01). "A Hopeful Future for Mankind". Foreign Affairs. 58 (5): 1129–1136. doi:10.2307/20040585. JSTOR 20040585.
- ^ spacexcmsadmin (2012-11-28). "Capabilities & Services". SpaceX. Retrieved 2015-11-19.