Issue Expanding the sphere of human activity in the space-economy era

Summary

Satellite constellations, plans for Mars settlement zones and low-Earth-orbit tourism point toward an era in which people live and do business in space. Limited resources on Earth make the mining and energy use of lunar and asteroid resources one of humanity's key tasks, and landers, orbiters, robotics and in-situ resource use are extending the economic frontier. Innovative technologies and falling costs are improving access to space, while US-China rivalry is turning space activity into a competitive race. New business models are putting private companies at the forefront as commercial actors, so space is shifting from an inaccessible realm to a near but still unexplored frontier. At the same time, large private constellations are congesting orbits, and space debris, planetary defence and the allocation of liability and costs among countries require new international coordination and warning capabilities.