When people think of what we get from the US space program, it might be similar to spinoffs of NASA technology like freeze-dried food and emergency space blankets.
But space activities do much more that benefits life on Earth. Research in space helps scientists study our environment, develop new technologies, create jobs, grow the economy and foster international cooperation.
Of course, following reports that Russia was developing nuclear weapons against satellites, members of Congress and the media focused their attention on space defense and military preparedness.
This is a critical issue, but there are many other benefits that can be gained from space. Making the most of U.S. space participation will require collaboration across diverse social, environmental, commercial, governmental, international, and technological infrastructures.
As a space policy expert who focuses on private-public partnerships, networks, and coalitions, I have found that policymakers can get the most out of U.S. space efforts if they invite a broad range of experts into policy discussions.
Benefits on Earth
NASA satellites play a crucial role in documenting changes in global temperatures, sea level rise, arctic ice spread, and air quality. Satellites have also been collecting data to monitor water use, crop health and crop production for almost 50 years. These long-term observations help researchers track environmental changes around the world.
Space exploration provides a wide range of technologies, as well as rockets and lunar landers. Cell phone cameras, CAT scanners, computer mice, laptops, wireless headsets, and water purification systems are just a few of the public goods produced by NASA.
These spinoff technologies come from NASA’s partnerships with private companies, which then make scientific discoveries widely available and accessible.
Growing the space economy
Experts predict that the space sector will continue to drive the development of non-space industries. Agriculture, energy, mining, transportation and pharmaceuticals are just a few of the industries that benefit from spinoff technologies and space-based research.
For example, scientists can conduct experiments on the International Space Station using the microgravity of space to study the chemistry of drugs, develop drugs, and test cancer treatments.
More organizations and individuals than ever have a shared interest in the success of the space sector. Experts predict that the global space economy (resources used for activities in space) and research and development will continue to reach a US$1.4 trillion market by 2030.
Commercialization policies opened U.S. space activities to the private sector. This has led to partnerships with companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin and others that are growing the space economy.
These companies have launched more and more rockets and deployed satellites in recent years. This has increased the need for workers in both manufacturing positions and specialized STEM roles. Additionally, private companies and universities are partnering to develop various technologies, such as landing systems, for the United States’ return to the Moon.
Communities hosting space industry centers have seen economic and educational benefits. For example, Huntsville, Alabama, home of the Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, has attracted an educated workforce that has one of the highest ratios of engineers per capita. In Huntsville, nearly half of residents over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
This rate is in stark contrast to the national average, where 37% have at least a bachelor’s degree, and the state average, which is 27%. Additionally, Huntsville’s median annual household income is $8,000 higher than the Alabama average.
Huntsville has hosted more than 750,000 students at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center space camp since 1982. This camp educates students in science, technology, engineering and leadership to prepare them for a potential STEM career in the future.
international cooperation
Space also offers the United States an opportunity to collaborate with other countries.
For example, the United States is partnering with Italy to monitor the effects of air quality on human health. The result of a partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, the James Webb Space Telescope allows scientists to peer into previously unobserved parts of the cosmos. International cooperation also established the Artemis Accords, a set of principles adopted by 40 countries for peaceful, sustainable and transparent cooperation in space.
Making the most of space
Currently, U.S. space policymaking occurs at the federal and international levels. Although individuals outside government can act as witnesses at congressional hearings or through advocacy groups, this participation may not be sufficient to represent the broad spectrum of perspectives and interests in space policy.
There are several ways policymakers can get input from different stakeholders. These could include inviting more experts from various policy areas to make recommendations at congressional hearings, collaborating with advocacy coalitions to create sustainable policies, strengthening and expanding private-public partnerships, and creating a field agenda that emphasizes research and development.
This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent, nonprofit news organization providing facts and authoritative analysis to help you understand our complex world. Written by: Cheyenne Black, University of Oklahoma
Read more:
Cheyenne Black does not work for, consult for, own shares in, or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond her academic duties.