The Era of Space Infrastructure

We are now moving into the "Era of Space Infrastructure" and as such funding focus will need to change to ensure its success.

For us to continue our expansion into space, we are at the point where in-space infrastructure is needed to enable future exploration, colonization, and industrialization.

For this we need reusable rockets, more launch facilities, in-space refueling, space stations, space tugs, and expanded communications to name a few.

This is akin to early Earth expansions where we added roads, rail, electricity, and phones. These all laid the foundation for expanding and new possibilities.

The Era of Space Infrastructure is the same, if we focus resources on developing these things, then much more will be possible in the future.

This does mean there will be a shift in funding. Less pure science will be funded in the short term, but it will open up many more opportunities for science in the future by doing so.

Imagine how much more could be done for less if there were 10 large orbital space stations around Earth, and they were cheap to get to. A lot more science could be done then.

Let’s recognize the era we are moving into, its importance, and where our focus needs to be to allow us to move through it to the next one.

The Era of Space Infrastructure will open the way to the Era of Space Expansion, Colonization, and Discovery if we get it right.