WGS 2018: Governments, Not Private Corporations, See Long-Term Gain In The Success Of Space Exploration

It is more interesting to identify and focus on practical solutions than to venture out into unfamiliar territory, noted acclaimed American astrophysicist, author and science communicator Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson on day one of the sixth World Government Summit (WGS 2018) in Dubai.

In his session ‘The Future of Colonizing Space’, held as part of the Space Settlement Forum, a special event at the Summit that has brought together astronauts, scientists and industry experts to discuss the future of space colonization, Dr Tyson presented a rational assessment of peoples’ ambitions and dreams of settling in space. The Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York also expressed his belief that colonization is still a distant ideal because there is no capital market valuation of the space frontier.

Speaking on the uncertainty of space settlements, Dr Tyson said: “Predicting the future is hard. Often, the exercise involves extending what you already know but not inventing something new. Beyond 30 years, it is a hopeless exercise given the rapid pace of technology conversion and convergence that cannot be extrapolated. The cost-benefit analysis of going into space is unimaginable. It’s hard to raise money for an activity that is deemed high-risk, holds unknown returns, and is not fully understood by the public.”

Elaborating on the critical role of federal stakeholders, he added: “Governments need to lead space funding as they have a long-term interest in the success of technological advancements over a longer period of time, which no corporate entity could ever justify. Private entities should be allowed to undertake routine missions paid by governments. This should have been happening decades ago.”