Spring Break
Space exploration doomed without public support
Scott Conover
Issue date: 5/4/09 Section: Forum
Although private companies may carry industry into space, the fact is that if companies go into space, eventually governments will seek to go as well. Powerful governmental bodies, such as the United States government, are very capable of utilizing the full extent of their resources a particularly desired aim.
However, many of their aims are subject to public scrutiny, meaning that governments must gain public acceptance with a majority of their projects with a majority of their people - otherwise, their authority will be hamstrung by the public.
In short, governments must win over their people if they are to promote a particular interest above all the others. If a powerful government desired to promote space exploration as a public aim, whether for settlement or mining or both, it would need to attain the approbation, self-interest and support of its people.
First, space exploration would need to be brought into the mainstream to be popularized; that is to say, the concept of space exploration and settlement would need to be promoted as a public concept.
Whether through television shows organized by influential persons "in the know" or with continuous promotion of space by the political entities, exposure is one of the most effective ways to gain public acceptance. While insufficient to gain mainstream acceptance by itself, using these means to prominently display an idea to the public in a positive way would be very effective in swaying public opinion.
Second, space would need to invoke self-interest. If space appears to be some particular experiment or some unusual form of scientific examination, it may gain public approbation, but not necessarily public support; without some acknowledgement that the self-interest of the constituency will be directly served, it may not be possible to win over a majority of the people.
Resources harvested from space, in the form of helium-3, iron or gold, the following prospects of some cheaper goods and services and advancements in technology can all serve as useful instruments to win over constituents on the basis of self-interest.
However, many of their aims are subject to public scrutiny, meaning that governments must gain public acceptance with a majority of their projects with a majority of their people - otherwise, their authority will be hamstrung by the public.
In short, governments must win over their people if they are to promote a particular interest above all the others. If a powerful government desired to promote space exploration as a public aim, whether for settlement or mining or both, it would need to attain the approbation, self-interest and support of its people.
First, space exploration would need to be brought into the mainstream to be popularized; that is to say, the concept of space exploration and settlement would need to be promoted as a public concept.
Whether through television shows organized by influential persons "in the know" or with continuous promotion of space by the political entities, exposure is one of the most effective ways to gain public acceptance. While insufficient to gain mainstream acceptance by itself, using these means to prominently display an idea to the public in a positive way would be very effective in swaying public opinion.
Second, space would need to invoke self-interest. If space appears to be some particular experiment or some unusual form of scientific examination, it may gain public approbation, but not necessarily public support; without some acknowledgement that the self-interest of the constituency will be directly served, it may not be possible to win over a majority of the people.
Resources harvested from space, in the form of helium-3, iron or gold, the following prospects of some cheaper goods and services and advancements in technology can all serve as useful instruments to win over constituents on the basis of self-interest.
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