Democratization of access to space

Today, it is expensive to access space to put a satellite in orbit, send a probe out into the solar system or conduct experiments in low Earth orbit or beyond. The Democratization of access to space will be a reality.

Whoever is able to lower the costs will have a great business opportunity. Experts at the Forum believe there might be as much as 1.5 billion potential users distributed among institutes and universities, companies and entrepreneurs, governments, research institutions, critical infrastructure operators (whether they are governmental or not) and even individual citizens who want to enjoy space tourism.

The factors that might affect it are:
  – The need to educate people so they are aware of the numerous new opportunities and the fact that prices are going down.
  – Availability of infrastructure that promotes innovation and convinces the interested parties that space is no loner unattainable.
  – Access to launchers. Companies such as SpaceX, Rocket Lab or PLD Systems are already selling or are developing launchers that have more affordable prices and/or lower waiting times. They are demonstrating how valuable this segment of the market is.
  – Alternatively, another option is to grant access to data generated in space to ensure more people can use them.

However, Esther Dyson said during the Forum that one of the challenges humanity is facing is that of transcending national borders to understand, once and for all, that we are a planet; maybe achieving space democratization is the first step.

Access to space

Rachel Lyons, Executive Director of Space for Humanity and participant in the XXXI FTF meeting on “Commercialization of space”, answers questions about democratizing of access to space.

Rachel Lyons, Executive Director of Space for Humanity and participant in the XXXI FTF meeting on “Commercialization of space”,  answers questions about democratizing of access to space.