In Space, No-one Can Hear You Meme!
Introducing… Space Monopoly! The perfect after-tea family game for colonising the known universe. It’s here! It’s happening! No, not Christmas – the space technology revolution, of course!
Will we go on holiday in space? Can we extract minerals from asteroids? Will we ever travel to other planets? Answers to all of these questions and more to follow as we boldly go into the exciting world of our future space economy.
The Space Economy?
“A space economy!?” you exclaim, “but we can barely manage the terrestrial economy!”. Well, yes. Branching out into space is undoubtedly an expensive feat, but ultimately it will create jobs, generate wealth, and enhance the productivity of our current global economy.
Companies such as AstroForge, DSI, and Planetary Resources are on a mission to leave the planet in pursuit of asteroids, extract minerals from said asteroids by mining them, and then return back to Earth with a haul of celestial bounties. The expansion into the Great Expanse will create entirely new supply-demand relationships with space-for-earth, earth-for-space, and space-for-space industries emerging.
The challenges of building and sustaining a space-based economy and extra-planetary colonies begin from conception. A major issue is getting projects off the ground. Quite literally – launching a rocket requires burning fuel at two-million times the rate of your average family car! This is why companies like Orbital Assembly are designing ways to construct things for space in space.
Advances in 3D printing technology have opened up portals to the possibility of large-scale production of infrastructure for space actually taking place in outer space. This changes the way we think about space exploration and expansion. Space stations and rockets will no longer need to be cylindrical to maximise the volume capacity of the launch vehicle. We will be able to build spaceports, construct exploration spaceships, and design probes better suited for long-distance exploration.
With the development of quantum computers and carbon nano-tubes, the discovery of new durable lightweight materials is speeding up. Orbital Assembly aims to be the first space construction company, using drones to build small-to-medium sized structures in orbit.
The Goliath goal for Orbital Assembly is to build a space station called ‘The Gateway’, complete with artificial gravity, shops, hotels and viewing platform. Opening up space to tourists from Earth, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and Orion Span are also competing in the space tourism game. £39 last-minute deals on flights to outer space are a little way off, however.
Communications Technology
The effect the space tech revolution will have on the internet and immersive technologies will be phenomenal. Over the next few decades Elon Musk wants to send 42,000 satellites into space – that’s 50 times as many satellites than there are currently orbiting our planet (approximately 850 in total active in 2021).
It’s not just SpaceX-Starlink with this bright idea; the Chinese Government is also planning to send thousands of low-orbiting satellites into space, as well as Amazon’s Project Kulper, Iridium, and various other private companies. As these satellite constellation projects are launched, we will be set down the road to full global internet accessibility. Not to mention greater precision with GPS.
Powerful communication infrastructure will be essential to the colonisation of other planets and the exploration deeper into space. It’s interesting to note how private wealth is being funnelled into space exploration and colonisation, and private companies are at the forefront of the space race.
Formerly, national governments and organisations like NASA fronted, funded, and managed space-related projects. Now, we’re in the age of the international billionaire’s space race, and it could potentially be more fundamental to the survival of humanity than most of us are willing to admit. Elon Musk has been hailed as a maverick, among other things, for his goal towards humanity being an interplanetary species.
A screen capture of a scenario from our 3D city project for Fujitsu
Marketing for the Space Economy
How will marketing for the space economy work? Well, we know it will have to involve immersive technologies in order to effectively persuade and inform investors and consumers. That’s where we come in!
From student start-ups to multinational corporations, anyone who wants to stake a claim in the space economy will need convincing and engaging immersive marketing and educational material. Affari Media has a proven track record when it comes to delivering unique and outstanding 3D assets and immersive experiences.
We were recently challenged by Fujitsu to develop two interactive 3D city experiences for marketing their quantum computing and AI solutions to business leaders across the globe. Currently in the works, we also have the finishing touches being made to our interactive VR experience, Security Operations Centre VR.
At the moment, in terms of space tech we’re often dealing with hypothetical technologies which don’t even exist yet, or with which we’re only just beginning to make progress. Immersive marketing is the perfect way to attract investors, educate, raise awareness, and garner public support for emerging space technologies. It’s one small step…
