An Intergalactic Opportunity?

The search for life beyond Earth has spanned decades and a multitude of galaxies. Breakthroughs such as the discovery of liquid water on Mars and “Earth-like” exoplanets have increased the faith in the existence of alien life but, the distance has made proof difficult. We make use of technological devices such as satellites and depend on them for various resources. These resources include maps, video calls, television, and even weather tracking. Scientists use these devices to learn more about space and our planet. There has long been debate over whether or not space colonization is something that should be invested in. At the moment, neither organizations nor the government is working on the development of space colonies. As evidenced by research, colonies would be a good investment because they are useful for protecting the human species, reducing overpopulation, resolving economic issues on Earth, and could give us access to beneficial resources among other things.

Picture this. It is the year 3000 and nuclear warfare is being implemented after a majority of the countries are engaged in conflict. The survival of the human species on Earth is threatened and we have no alternative strategy to save the civilization we have built. Regret lingers in the air along with the exposure to radiation, thoughts that we could have prevented catastrophe and saved our civilization cloud our minds. If only we had started planning and introducing space colonies earlier. This type of scenario is not very realistic but, it is supposed to remind you that there are possibilities of the human race being threatened which is why we should start preparing now. We have backup plans for our education and even our technology so why shouldn’t we have a backup plan for our future generations?

Other than preventing extinction, space colonies could provide us with beneficial resources. According to various estimates, the Solar System alone contains enough material and energy to sustain anywhere from a few thousand to over a billion times the current Earth-based human population, primarily from the Sun. Several hundred billion other planets in the Milky Way alone offer possibilities for colonization and resource collection outside of the Solar System, though travel to any of them on any realistic timescale is impossible, we would need to improve our technology first. Other than planets that are feasible for new colonies, a technique known as asteroid mining could prove to be very useful in space colonization.

Asteroids are comprised of water and other materials to develop shielding. Mining and fuel stations on asteroids could be utilized in order to facilitate better space travel. The optimization of asteroids is also economically smart and according to NASA, can help us save $100 billion dollars. The Solar System is clearly abundant in its resources, it is our society that is lacking in the effort to discover and explore new possibilities. Expansion as a whole has a negative connotation as in the past it came at the expense of indigenous people. Proponents of space settlement have expressed that these are consequences inapplicable to this cause as space has no known life.

The financing towards space colonization has more benefits than downsides. It would prove to be an investment towards the future by setting up generations to come. Through space colonization, we could avoid extinction and expose ourselves to beneficial resources without concern for harming other populations.