Benefits Stemming from  

Space Exploration

 September 2013 

 

 International Space Exploration 

 Coordination Group 
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ISECG – Benefits Stemming from Space Exploration

Table of Content 

Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................................1

1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................3

2. Fundamental Benefits of Space Exploration......................................................................................... 5

2.1. Innovation .....................................................................................................................................7

Advances in Science and Technology.................................................................................................... 8

Global Technical Workforce Development........................................................................................... 9

Enlarged Economic Sphere ................................................................................................................. 10

2.2. Culture and Inspiration ............................................................................................................... 11

2.3. New Means to Address Global Challenges ................................................................................. 12

3. Expected Benefits from Exploration Missions in the Next Ten Years................................................. 15

3.1. Innovation ...................................................................................................................................15

3.2. Culture and Inspiration ............................................................................................................... 19

3.3. New Means to Address Global Challenges ................................................................................. 20

4. Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................21

Image Credits..............................................................................................................................................22

 

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Executive Summary 

More than fifty years of human activity in space have produced societal benefits that improve

the quality of life on Earth. The first satellites, designed to study the space environment and

test initial capabilities in Earth orbit, contributed critical knowledge and capabilities for

developing satellite telecommunications, global positioning, and advances in weather

forecasting. Space exploration initiated the economic development of space that today, year

after year, delivers high returns for invested funds in space1. The challenges of space

exploration have sparked new scientific and technological knowledge of inherent value to

humankind, leading to better understanding of our Universe and the solar system in which we

live. Knowledge, coupled with ingenuity, provides people around the globe with solutions as

well as useful products and services. Knowledge acquired from space exploration has also

introduced new perspectives on our individual and collective place in the Universe.  

Future space exploration goals call for sending humans and robots beyond Low Earth Orbit and

establishing sustained access to destinations such as the Moon, asteroids and Mars. Space

agencies participating in the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG)2 are

discussing an international approach for achieving these goals, documented in ISECG's Global

Exploration Roadmap3

. That approach begins with the International Space Station (ISS), and

leads to human missions to the surface of Mars.  

Employing the complementary capabilities of both humans and robotic systems will enable

humankind to meet this most ambitious space exploration challenge, and to increase benefits

for society. These benefits can be categorized into three fundamental areas: innovation; culture

and inspiration; and new means to address global challenges.

Innovation. There are numerous cases of societal benefits linked to new knowledge and

technology from space exploration. Space exploration has contributed to many diverse aspects

of everyday life, from solar panels to implantable heart monitors, from cancer therapy to light‐

weight materials, and from water‐purification systems to improved computing systems and to a

global search‐and‐rescue system4

. Achieving the ambitious future exploration goals as outlined

above will further expand the economic relevance of space. Space exploration will continue to

be an essential driver for opening up new domains in science and technology, triggering other

sectors to partner with the space sector for joint research and development. This will return

immediate benefits back to Earth in areas such as materials, power generation and energy

                                                            

1 OECD Handbook on Measuring the Space Economy, March 2012. 2 ISECG space agencies include, in alphabetical order: ASI (Italy), CNES (France), CNSA (China), CSA (Canada), CSIRO

(Australia), DLR (Germany), ESA (Europe), ISRO (India), JAXA (Japan), KARI (Republic of Korea), NASA (United States

of America), NSAU (Ukraine), Roscosmos (Russia), UKSA (United Kingdom). 3 The Global Exploration Roadmap can be downloaded at www.globalspaceexploration.org 4 Spinoff materials published by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (e.g. Spinoff database,

spinoff.nasa.gov/spinoff/database; Spinoff 2012, spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2012);

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storage, recycling and waste management, advanced robotics, health and medicine,

transportation, engineering, computing and software. Furthermore, innovations required for

space exploration, such as those related to miniaturisation, will drive improvements in other

space systems and services resulting in higher performance and lower cost. These will in turn

result in better services on Earth and better return of investment in institutional and

commercial space activities. In addition, the excitement generated by space exploration attracts

young people to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, helping to build

global capacity for scientific and technological innovation.

Culture and Inspiration. Space exploration offers a unique and evolving perspective on

humanity's place in the Universe, which is common to all. Every day, space exploration missions

fulfill people's curiosity, producing fresh data about the solar system that brings us closer to

answering profound questions that have been asked for millennia: What is the nature of the

Universe? Is the destiny of humankind bound to Earth? Are we and our planet unique? Is there

life elsewhere in the Universe?  

New Means to Address Global Challenges. Partnerships and capabilities developed through

space exploration create new opportunities for addressing global challenges. Space exploration

is a global endeavour contributing to trust and diplomacy between nations. Enhanced global

partnerships and exploration capabilities may help advance international preparedness for

protecting the Earth from catastrophic events such as some asteroid strikes, advancing

collaborative research on space weather and protecting spacecraft by developing new means

for space debris removal. Knowledge derived from space exploration may also contribute to

implementing policies for environmentally sustainable development.

In summary, space scientists and engineers who overcame past challenges could not have

predicted all the ways in which their innovations are now being used on Earth. Though the

precise nature of future benefits from space exploration is unpredictable, current trends

suggest that significant benefits may be generated in areas such as new materials, health and

medicine, transportation, and computer technology. New opportunities for job creation and

economic growth are being created by private enterprises that are increasingly investing in

space exploration and seeking ways to make space exploration more affordable and reliable,

and thus, more sustainable and profitable.  

There is no activity on Earth that matches the unique challenges of space exploration. The first

fifty years of space activity have generated benefits for people around the globe. This past

record gives strong reason for confidence that renewed investments in space exploration will

have similarly positive impacts for future generations.

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1. Introduction 

For more than fifty years, humans have explored space, and this has produced a continuing

flow of societal benefits. By its very nature, space exploration expands the envelope of human

knowledge and presence throughout the solar system, and this process has been accelerated by

a combination of human and robotic activities. Experience has demonstrated that, as long as

humankind addresses the challenges of exploring mankind’s common frontier of space, many

tangible societal benefits are produced, and in addition to those most commonly anticipated, a

great variety of valuable innovations are generated serendipitously, for this is the nature of

discovery.

From the early days of space flight, it became apparent that space exploration was an efficient

driver for basic science and technology.   The new challenges called for new approaches. The

cost of launches drove designers to make spacecraft computers lighter, smaller and with the

highest performance and dependability. Solar cells, batteries and fuel cells were driven by

space needs and benefitted many sectors on Earth5

. The first satellites, designed to study the

space environment and test initial capabilities in Earth orbit, contributed critical knowledge for

developing space telecommunications, global positioning, and advances in weather forecasting.  

The early missions also formed the technological basis for advanced space exploration, enabling

the first robotic and human missions to the Moon, as well as highly capable planetary

spacecraft and crewed space stations in orbit.  

Over time, governments around the world increasingly cooperated to conduct complex space

missions, demonstrating the power of international partnerships to amplify accomplishments in

space.

The success has been impressive and space systems continue to drive innovation, support

world‐class science, provide vital services, and are part of the daily life of the common citizen.

Service‐driven space systems are the overwhelming part of space activity today6. Furthermore,

the legacy of these historical efforts to develop sophisticated and useful capabilities and

partnerships is evident in today's exploration programmes such as the International Space

Station (ISS), which continues to contribute significant benefits to humanity7

. The ISS supports

                                                           

5 Technology initiated by Space Exploration is often today driven by terrestrial mass market sectors.  The space

sector can then spin‐in such technologies in effective ways. Renewed investments in achieving the ambitious

future exploration goals promise to increase the innovation factor of space exploration.

6 E.g. out of the 67 flights of Ariane 5 between January 2000 and July 2013, 59 launches (88%) were commercial.

7 "International Space Station Benefits for Humanity", Ed. J.Robinson, developed by members of the Canadian

Space Agency (CSA), European Space Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), National

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), 2012. Accessed at

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/626862main_ISS_Benefit_for_Humanity.pdf.

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investigations in life and physical sciences, as well as advancing research and technology to

solve problems associated with long‐duration human space flight that have many applications

on the ground.  

Future space exploration goals call for sending humans and robots beyond Low Earth Orbit

(LEO) and establishing sustained access to space exploration destinations such as the Moon,

asteroids and Mars. Space agencies participating in the International Space Exploration

Coordination Group (ISECG)8 are discussing an international approach for achieving these goals,

documented in ISECG's Global Exploration Roadmap9, that begins with the ISS and advances

coordinated human and robotic exploration, leading, amongst other things, to human missions

on the surface of Mars.  

Achieving these ambitious exploration goals requires researchers to surmount new challenges

and develop coordinated human and robotic exploration capabilities. As has been

demonstrated in the past, deploying the unique and complementary capabilities of both

humans and robotic space systems is not only essential for solar system exploration, but also

promises to expand many benefits provided to people on Earth.  

While early space scientists and engineers expected that space exploration would have positive

impacts on humanity, they could not have foreseen all the specific social and economic benefits

that have flowed from their work. So too, the current generation cannot predict in detail what

benefits will eventually appear as a result of its efforts The unforeseen positive results of the

past five decades indicate the great potential for space exploration to continue producing a

wide range of applications and knowledge which will expand the space‐based economy even

further.  

This paper, a collective effort by representatives of space agencies participating in ISECG,

articulates a shared perspective on the nature and significance of the benefits of space

exploration programmes, and on the potential for the future delivery of benefits. It summarizes

the fundamental benefits to humanity (Chapter 2) which could arise as space agencies

collectively work on achieving the ambitious future exploration goals outlined above. It also

provides a perspective on potential specific benefits to be achieved over the next ten years

(Chapter 3).  

While this paper is not meant to provide a conclusive view on the societal relevance of future

space exploration, it documents a strong commitment of space agencies to deliver benefits to

                                                           

8 ISECG space agencies include, in alphabetical order: ASI (Italy), CNES (France), CNSA (China), CSA (Canada), CSIRO

(Australia), DLR (Germany), ESA (Europe), ISRO (India), JAXA (Japan), KARI (Republic of Korea), NASA (United States

of America), NSAU (Ukraine), Roscosmos (Russia), UKSA (United Kingdom).

9 The Global Exploration Roadmap can be downloaded at www.globalspaceexploration.org

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society.  It will aid space agencies in engaging relevant stakeholder communities in discussions

on how the flow of benefits to society can be further improved.

2. Fundamental Benefits of Space Exploration 

To a great extent, the benefits from space exploration are rooted in the generation of

new knowledge, which is the first reward and which has inherent value to humankind.

Technological knowledge, generated when high‐performance space systems are

developed to address the extreme challenges of space missions, yields many innovations

that benefit the public. Scientific knowledge acquired from space expands humankind's

understanding of nature and frequently unlocks creative and useful Earth‐based

applications for society. In the longer term, the knowledge accumulated over many

missions and the expansion of human presence into the Solar System help people gain

perspective on the fragility and rarity of life in the Universe and on humankind's

accomplishments, potential, and destiny.

Space exploration stimulates the creation of both tangible and intangible benefits for

humanity. Tangible impacts include all the innovation‐related applications and benefits

resulting from investments in these programmes, such as new devices and services that

spin off into the marketplace. In addition, space exploration leads to advances in science

and technology, and furthers workforce development and industrial capabilities, thus

leading to an overall stimulation of private companies and industries, all of which

contributes significantly to the economic progress of space‐faring nations. Space

exploration is also known to attract young people into careers in science and technology

to the general benefit of society and the economy (see chapter 2.1). Space exploration

also results in various intangible impacts due to the social and philosophical dimensions

that address the nature and meaning of human life. Intangible benefits include the

enriching of culture, the inspiration of citizens, and the building of mutual understanding

as a result of international cooperation among space‐faring nations.

The fundamental benefits generated by space exploration are grouped in this document

as follows: (i) innovation; (ii) culture and inspiration; and (iii) new means to address global

challenges. The delivery of these benefits to society provides the main rationale for

investment in space exploration. An illustration on how these benefits are delivered by

space agencies is given in the box below.

Space exploration’s capacity to continue delivering significant benefits to humanity was

recognized by high‐level government representatives from around the world when they

convened in Lucca, Italy, in November 2011. They concluded that space exploration

provides:  

unprecedented opportunities to deliver benefits to humanity on Earth ... These

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benefits include fuelling future discoveries; addressing global challenges in space

and on Earth through the use of innovative technology; creating global partnerships

by sharing challenging and peaceful goals; inspiring society and especially the

younger generations through collective and individual efforts; and enabling

economic expansion and new business opportunities. 10

How Space Exploration Delivers Benefits

The benefits of space can be categorized as either direct or indirect. The direct benefits of

exploration include the generation of scientific knowledge, the diffusion of innovation and

creation of markets, the inspiration of people around the world, and agreements forged

between the countries engaged in exploration.  

Indirect benefits that result over time include tangible enhancements to the quality of life such

as improved economic prosperity, health, environmental quality, safety, and security. They also

include intangible philosophical benefits such as a deepened understanding and new

perspectives on humankind’s individual and collective place in the Universe.

Possibilities for benefit creation multiply rapidly when the products of space exploration

interact with the imagination and creativity present in other fields of endeavour. Cultural

benefits may depend on exploration mission stories and images spreading broadly across

society. Educational organisations, the media and communications industries play a role in

interpreting and amplifying exploration data, so that citizens may understand and appreciate

their significance. To maximize societal impact, space agencies share space exploration results

and collaborate with research institutions, businesses, universities, schools, museums, and

other organizations.

The figure below represents a model of the links between space activities and ultimate societal

benefits, and it helps space agencies explain and assess the unique contribution that space

exploration makes to producing benefits for humanity.  

                                                           

10 "Final Declaration of the First meeting of the High‐level International Space Exploration Platform", Lucca, Italy,

2011, www.luccaexplorationconference2011.org.

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2.1. Innovation

The challenge of space exploration drives a continuing effort to design ever more capable,

reliable, and efficient systems requiring the utmost ingenuity. Space exploration missions use

the unique capabilities of humans (e.g. on the spot

decision‐making, cognitive adaptability, versatility) and

robots (e.g. precision, sensory accuracy, reliability and

expendability) to achieve ambitious exploration goals.

Maximizing the productivity of these missions by

demanding an effective partnership between humans and

machines drives progress in human health care, robotics,

automation, and other domains.

Space exploration thus supports innovation and economic

prosperity by stimulating advances in science and

technology, as well as motivating the global scientific and technological workforce, thus

enlarging the sphere of human economic activity.

Figure 2. Exoskeleton to help

paraplegics walk, derived from space

robotic systems

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Advances in Science and Technology

Overcoming the challenges of working in space has led to many technological and scientific

advances that have provided benefits to society on Earth in areas including health and

medicine, transportation, public safety, consumer goods, energy and environment, information

technology, and industrial productivity.  

The wider list of technological

benefits encompasses improved

solar panels, implantable heart

monitors, light‐based anti‐cancer

therapy, cordless tools, light‐ 

weight high‐temperature alloys

used in jet engine turbines,

cameras found in today's cell

phones, compact water‐

purification systems, global

search‐and‐rescue systems and

biomedical technologies.

1112131415.

Scientific research founded on

data from space is also leading to

discoveries with benefits for life

on Earth. Ongoing research in the space environment of the ISS – in areas such as human

physiology, plant biology, materials science, and fundamental physics – continues to yield

insights that benefit society. For example, studies of the human body’s response to extended

periods in the microgravity environment of the ISS are improving our understanding of the

aging process. Fundamental scientific studies of the Martian environment, its evolution and

current state represent important benchmarks of terrestrial planetary evolution, and hence,

                                                           

People often ask, If you like spin‐off products, why not just

invest in those technologies straightaway, instead of

waiting for them to happen as spin‐offs? The answer: it just

doesn't work that way. Let's say you’re a thermodynamicist,

the world's expert on heat, and I ask you to build me a

better oven. You might invent a convection oven, or an oven

that’s more insulated or that permits easier access to its

contents. But no matter how much money I give you, you

will not invent a microwave oven. Because that came from

another place. It came from investments in

communications, in radar. The microwave oven is traceable

to the war effort, not to a thermodynamicist.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, Space Chronicles, W.W.Norton & Company,

2012, p.210.

11 Down to Earth: Everyday Uses for European Space Technology, European Space Agency, 2001,

www.esa.int/esapub/br/br175/br175.pdf

12 Spinoff materials published by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (e.g. Spinoff database,

spinoff.nasa.gov/spinoff/database; Spinoff 2012, spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2012);

13 Spinoff from Japan's Aerospace Technology, aerospacebiz.jaxa.jp/en/spinoff; Aerospace Biz 2012, Japan

Aerospace Exploration Agency, 2012, aerospacebiz.jaxa.jp/jp/publish/data/aerospacebiz_2012.pdf

14"neuroArm: Robotic arms lend a healing touch", Canadian Space Agency, www.asc‐

csa.gc.ca/eng/iss/benefits_01_neuroArm.asp.

15 “From Space to Earth”, B. Feuerbacher and E. Messerschmid , Schiffer Publisher, March 2011.

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provide a model that some scientists believe will aid our growing understanding of climate

change processes on Earth.

Global Technical Workforce Development

Investment in the Apollo Moon exploration programme in the 1960s correlates with the

level of technical education later attained by students (Figure 3), suggesting that the

programme’s high public profile and dramatic achievements had a widespread influence

on the level of US technical education.

                                                           

Figure 3. Space Exploration's Impact on Educational Achievement.

16

A 2009 survey found that fifty percent of the internationally renowned scientists who published

in the prestigious journal Nature during the previous three years had been inspired by Apollo to

become scientists; 89 percent of the respondents also agreed that human spaceflight inspires

younger generations to study science.17

One of the lessons from Apollo is that having a visible space exploration programme is

important in encouraging young people to pursue science, technology, engineering, and

16 Siegfried, W.H., "Space Colonization—Benefits for the World", Space Technology and Applications International

Forum, 2003.

17 Nature 460, 314‐315 (2009); www.nature.com/news/2009/090715/full/460314a.html.

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mathematics (STEM) fields. Such a programme will also send a message to students that they

have the possibility of long‐term exciting careers in science and technology.

                                                           

Figure 4. Space exploration inspires students.

Today, many space exploration missions include components designed to stimulate young

people’s interest in STEM. More than 2 million teachers and 43 million students from 49

countries have participated in student experiments and activities associated with the

International Space Station (ISS)18.    In some cases, scientists enlisted the help of students to

conduct their investigations aboard the ISS, and in other cases students designed space

experiments themselves. For example, a programme inviting students to design scientific

experiments for implementation on the ISS has attracted the interest of tens of thousands of

young people19.

Enlarged Economic Sphere

The early space activities have undoubtedly enlarged our economic sphere, which now extends

into space, including the low Earth orbit up to geostationary distances. Recently private

initiatives have been launched to extend the economic sphere even further, extending to the

Moon, asteroids, and even Mars. This relies on space exploration, which drives the

development of new technologies and capabilities (e.g. heavy lift launchers, human and robotic

servicing, and autonomous space operations). By developing reliable space exploration systems

that incorporate human decision‐making, troubleshooting, and flexibility, possibilities are

created for enhancing the economic development of space driven by private sector investments

(e.g. new means to service in‐space infrastructure for applications and science purposes can be

envisaged).

Furthermore, by deepening our understanding of how humans and machines function in space,

and developing technologies for space exploration, publicly funded space exploration has

18 "Inspiring the Next Generation:    ISS Education Opportunities and Accomplishments 2000‐2012", ref:  

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/696998main_ISS Education_Publication 2012_ final_100512.pdf 19    Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, an initiative of the National Center for Earth and Space Science

Education in partnership with NanoRacks, LLC and NASA, ssep.ncesse.org.

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lowered the risks and costs associated with accessing and working in space. As a result private

investment is increasing in space‐based endeavours such as space transportation systems,

Earth‐orbiting habitats, space tourism and even planetary mining technologies to eventually

harvest precious materials thought to be present in asteroids20. Investment in space‐based

endeavours is becoming sufficiently attractive to private entrepreneurs, so that humankind may

be ready to "incorporate the solar system in our economic sphere"21.

Enlarging the Economic Sphere

May 2012 saw the first resupply mission to the ISS by a privately‐owned space vehicle22.

Hundreds of millions of dollars of private capital have been invested in the development of

human space transportation and habitation systems with relevance to potential future space‐

based industries such as tourism and resource mining. Apart from cargo vehicles to service the

ISS, early‐stage investments have also been made in the development of privately‐crewed

spacecraft and space stations. In the United Kingdom, private sector investment is targeting the

development of engine technology for a reusable space‐plane. International prize competitions

have also been established which stimulate private sector investments in space exploration23.

2.2. Culture and Inspiration

Space exploration missions offer a unique perspective on humanity’s place in the Universe,

satisfying our curiosity and inspiring wonder. They provide the best opportunities for

addressing questions such as “What is the nature of the Universe”, "Is the destiny of

humankind bound to Earth?", “Are we and our planet unique?”, and "Is there life elsewhere in

the Universe?”.

The first five decades of human activity in space had a profound impact on the social

development of humankind. Yuri Gagarin's first moments in space and Neil Armstrong's first

step on the Moon truly were “giant leaps for mankind” because they expanded our views about

the limits of human travel and planted seeds for new thinking about where beyond Earth

human existence might be possible. Stephen Hawking has argued that "to confine our attention

to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit"24. Understanding whether sustained

human activity beyond Earth orbit is actually feasible will have a profound influence on cultural

and intellectual life around the world and on humanity’s views and expectations of itself.  

                                                           

20 See initiatives as those of Planetary Resources (http://www.planetaryresources.com/) and Deep Space Industries

(http://deepspaceindustries.com/team/)   21 Marburger, J., keynote address, 44th Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium, American Astronautical Society,

Greenbelt, MD, 2006. 22 See: http://www.spacex.com 23 For example, the Ansari X‐Prize, space.xprize.org/ansari‐x‐prize; and the Google Lunar X‐Prize,

www.googlelunarxprize.org.

24 Stephen Hawking, Foreword to The Physics of Star Trek, by L.M. Krauss, Basic Books, 2007.

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There may soon be news about environments that could have harboured life elsewhere in the

solar system. In early 2013 the Mars Curiosity Rover obtained preliminary evidence that the

Martian environment once had conditions favourable to supporting life. Discovery of signs of

past or present life in the solar system (or beyond25) would affect in unpredictable ways

humanity’s appreciation of life’s uniqueness on Earth. The impact on philosophy, culture,

religion, and politics could be comparable to that caused by Copernicus's heliocentric model of

the Universe.

  

Impact of Space Exploration on Culture

                                                           

Earth

Figure 5. Earthrise seen from lunar orbit (a) Apollo 8, and (b) Kaguya as well as (c) picture of Earth taken by NASA’s

Cassini probe from more than 1.4 billion kilometers away in orbit around Saturn.

An iconic symbol of space exploration's capacity to alter humankind's perception of its place in

the Universe is the “Earthrise” photograph from the Apollo 8 mission in 1968 (Figure 5.a). Seen

from lunar orbit, our home planet appeared fragile and isolated. The photograph caused many

to develop a new perspective of our place in the cosmos and raised awareness of the need for

global solutions to environmental challenges. Earth was seen as a seamless whole without

national boundaries.

Space exploration has also inspired the development of various movies, bestselling books,

songs, photographs and paintings. Cultural products are a very visible symbol for how society

relates to space exploration.

2.3. New Means to Address Global Challenges  

Partnerships and capabilities developed through human space exploration create new

opportunities for addressing global challenges. Space exploration is an inherently worldwide

endeavour that attracts broad international interest and affects people all across the globe by

producing knowledge, capabilities, and relationships that help society deal with some of the

most pressing long‐term global challenges. Space exploration is a catalyst for nations to build

25 Exploration beyond the solar system is discovering planetary worlds – “exoplanets” – with emphasis on finding

Earth‐like bodies that might support life.

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mutual understanding and trust, and international partnerships that advance common

exploration goals help to align interests among nations and promote diplomacy. As

programmes become more ambitious, like the ISS (see text box below) and human missions to

the Moon, asteroids, and Mars, they require more extensive international cooperation, and this

creates opportunities to strengthen the capacity for peaceful, globally‐coordinated activities in

space and on Earth. Complex and demanding exploration missions will benefit from

contributions by a wide pool of partners. Future partnerships for space exploration will build on

existing partnership such as the one for the ISS, but will also be open to include new partners.

Partnership opportunities can be adapted to the needs and resources of developed as well as of

developing countries.

ISS and Global Partnerships

The ISS partnership, nearly thirty years old, is the pre‐eminent example of successful,

continuing international cooperation in space exploration. Fifteen nations signed the

intergovernmental agreement that established the partnership framework (Figure 6), and

cooperation has expanded over the years, resulting in 68 nations to date that have participated

in ISS activities. The ISS partnership demonstrates the functional dimension of international

cooperation in space as it enables partners with different levels of investments to gain access to

this unique laboratory, not affordable for any partner alone, and thereby share into the

benefits.

It also demonstrates the political aspect of exploration. To achieve its core mission, the ISS

partnership has overcome political and economic strains.  It has demonstrated the diplomatic

value of international cooperation in space. An astronaut who served on the ISS has observed

that it has been “as much a foreign policy ... achievement as it is a technical one.”26

               

                                                           

Figure 6. International cooperation on the International Space Station builds trust among nations

International partnerships and technical capabilities for space exploration contribute to

developing new options for dealing with global challenges for which space activities offer

unique solutions. These include the challenges of dealing with hazardous near‐Earth asteroids

and managing the threat posed by solar storms to the people and equipment in space and on

26 Payette, Julie, “Research and Diplomacy 350 Kilometers above the Earth. Lessons from the International Space

Station,” Science and Diplomacy, December 2012.

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Earth. Enhanced global partnerships and exploration capabilities may also contribute to

protecting spacecraft by developing new means for space debris removal. Furthermore,

knowledge gained from space exploration can also contributes to implementing policies related

to environmentally sustainable development. Earth can be regarded as a spaceship floating in

our solar system. Many aspects of sustainability, recycling, or efficient use of scarce resources

have to be tackled in the course of exploration missions and can be transferred to systems on

Earth.

Advancing Capabilities for Global Protection

Capabilities developed and knowledge gathered from space

exploration contribute to ongoing efforts to understand the

threat to Earth posed by asteroids, and to devise means for

protecting the planet. Scientists27 believe that a collision

between the Earth and one or more large asteroids about 65

million years ago caused the rapid mass extinction of most

plant and animal species on Earth. Worldwide awareness of the

dangers posed by asteroids was raised by the February 2013 close approach of a 40‐metre

asteroid and, on the same day, the unexpected explosion over Russia of a meteor (Figure 7)

believed to be about 17 metres wide and weighing 10,000 tonnes. The blast injured over 1,000

people and damaged over 4,000 buildings.    The asteroid that missed Earth by only 27,000

kilometres was large enough to have caused catastrophic damage if it had entered the

atmosphere28.  

These events triggered public concern about how to protect Earth from asteroid collisions. They

also underscored the significance of the work of the international space groups recently

endorsed for creation by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space's

Working Group on Near‐Earth Objects29.  

Space‐based systems that will be required to provide astronauts and exploration spacecraft

with early warning of solar events also provide direct benefit to people on Earth. Geomagnetic

                                                           

Figure 7. Chelyabinsk

meteor

27 Alvarez, LW, Alvarez, W, Asaro, F, and Michel, HV (1980). "Extraterrestrial cause for the Cretaceous–Tertiary

extinction". Science 208 (4448): 1095–1108; “Time Scales of Critical Events Around the Cretaceous‐Paleogene

Boundary”, by Paul. R. Renne et. al., Science, Vol. 339 no. 6120 pp. 684‐687, February 8, 2013; “Two large

meteorite impacts at the Cretaceous‐Paleogene Boundary,” by David Jolley, et. al., Geology, Vol. 38, no. 9, pp. 835‐

838, September 2010. 28 "NASA Releases Radar Movie of Asteroid 2012 DA14",www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013‐101. 29 "Recommendations of the Action Team on Near‐Earth Objects for an international response to the near‐Earth

object impact threat", United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, 20 Feb 2013,

www.oosa.unvienna.org/pdf/misc/2013/at‐14/at14‐handoutE.pdf.

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disturbances caused by solar storms can severely damage electrical and radio transmission

grids on Earth. In 1989, a geomagnetic storm affected millions of people by knocking out the

electrical power grid in Quebec, Canada, and causing power grid problems across the United

States, including destruction of a key nuclear power plant transformer30. Adverse space

weather causes disruption of space services for global communications, navigation and search

& rescue on which society is ever more reliant.  

3. Expected Benefits from Exploration Missions in the Next Ten Years 

Benefits will materialize in the short‐term as agencies prepare for implementing human

missions beyond LEO. Space agencies have made public their collective intention to plan for

human and robotic missions beyond LEO to destinations including the Moon, asteroids and

Mars31. Agencies will conduct in the next ten years robotic missions to these destinations. They

will invest in the development and demonstration of advanced technologies and new human

transportation systems, conduct ground and space‐based research for ensuring human health

and performance in space and use the ISS for advancing global research and testing exploration

technologies, systems, and operational concepts. Early human missions beyond LEO are

expected to take place in the early 2020s. The next ten years will be essential for building the

global partnership required for achieving the ambitious goals of space exploration.

With this outlook in mind, this section describes some social and economic benefits that are

expected to result from space exploration in the near‐term in the three fundamental benefit

areas introduced in chapter 2.

3.1. Innovation  

The challenges to achieving ambitious exploration goals are driven largely by the need to

enable reliable, safe and sustained operations of crew and machines in the harsh environment

of space. These challenges require solutions that will provide benefits on Earth even before

being employed in orbit, and they include:  

 Development of highly reliable human and robotic systems interacting with each other

on Earth and in space with limited maintenance;

Long travel time and operation in confined spacecraft and shelters;

New transportation capabilities (e.g. launch, rendezvous, docking, refuelling, landing);





                                                           

30 "Severe Space Weather Events‐‐Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts: A Workshop Report", National

Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, 2008 (page 109). Accessed at www.nap.edu/catalog/12507.html. 31 “The Global Exploration Strategy. The Framework for Coordination”, 2007.

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 Operations in extremely hostile environments;

Autonomous operations with limited communications and logistical supplies from Earth;

Miniaturization of components and development of new in‐situ capabilities.  





Closed Loop Life Support System

While recycling is critical for limiting the costs of sustaining human operations in Low Earth

Orbit, it is an absolute requirement for enabling human missions beyond LEO. Life support

systems for future deep space missions will need to have nearly 100 % recycling capability.

The European MELiSSA project (Micro‐Ecological Life Support System Alternative32) is one

example of a project which aims at gaining knowledge and know‐how in the development a

closed loop sustainable habitat. In collaboration with the industry, it has developed technology

that purifies millions of cubic metres of water every day, in hundreds of towns33. Furthermore,

sensors developed to monitor the MELISSA recycling processes are now used in the processes

used by terrestrial food producers.  

Many bacteria were studied for application within the MELiSSA project. One of those has been

shown to cut levels of LDL cholesterol – the ‘bad’ cholesterol ‐ and research on this bacterium

has now been taken over by the private sector34.

The very same solutions providing space exploration missions with improved technologies will

in turn lead to more efficient solutions in the commercial satellite market and the enabling of

new applications.  Anticipated innovations include:  

 miniaturization (mass, power, volume),  

increased lifetime and robustness for operations in a harsh environment,  

lower cost launchers,  

increased power efficiency,  

lighter and more efficient solar arrays and radiators,  

lighter structures, and  

higher energy‐density storage devices.  













A human space mission of several months will require innovative health care and medical

diagnostic and therapy tools to work in confined spaces with limited in‐situ medical expertise.

                                                           

32 http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Melissa/index.html 33  http://www.veoliawaterst.com/biostyr/en/ 34 http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Research/Red_bacteria_fighting_cholesterol_for_you

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Telemedicine

Maintaining the health of astronauts as they explore beyond Low Earth Orbit and conduct

missions of many months or years will require increasingly sophisticated methods.

Telemedicine provides medical care to patients who may be located far away from medical

providers. It is critically important to the success of space exploration, and space agencies have

led much of the innovation in this field since its very beginnings. Meanwhile, the public is using

telemedicine capabilities more and more to send diagnostic images to doctors in other cities, to

allow patients in rural areas to remain at home while hospital nurses monitor vital parameters

such as heart rate or blood pressure, and to conduct interactive medical examinations and

diagnostic procedures. The convenience and efficiency provided by telemedicine provides

tangible benefits to society and is improving the quality of life for people around the globe.

The Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity (ADUM) developed by NASA in partnership

with a hospital in Detroit is one example of an exploration‐driven telemedicine innovation. This

portable ultrasound device being tested on the ISS may one day help crew members as far

away as Mars, and may also be particularly useful for emergency medical personnel on Earth.

The ADUM can diagnose a variety of ailments, including abdominal conditions, collapsed lungs,

and tooth infections, and it promises to save lives while lowering health care costs.35

                                                           

Figure 8. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station use a compact ultrasound device to capture

and transmit to Earth high‐quality images of internal organs and structures, demonstrating a technology

that provides people in remote locations on Earth with efficient access to expert diagnosis and medical

treatment.

35  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/133.html

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The direct infusion of technological innovations from space into terrestrial markets will be

ensured by industrial entities operating simultaneously in space and terrestrial markets as well

as by the technology transfer programmes run by space agencies.  

Continued missions on the ISS, as well as planned human and robotic missions beyond LEO to

the Moon, asteroids, and Mars will be key to generating scientific knowledge in the fields of

planetary science, astrobiology, astrophysics, fundamental physics, life sciences, and the social

sciences. For example, the ISS will continue to host studies to understand the physiological and

biological effects of space on humans, such as bone and muscle loss, diminished immune

efficiency, slower wound healing, and poorer cognitive performance. The results are helping

the medical community to provide better health care for remote communities and aging

populations.

More broadly, the growing capacity to work in space for extended periods of time is likely to

encourage further investment in the space economy – for example through mastery of

sophisticated and delicate repair and construction tasks such as the servicing of the Hubble

space telescope, and greater understanding of how to manage risks to human health and

safety. Specifically, developments in propulsion, transportation, and infrastructure systems may

lower the cost of space access and utilization, and thus enable expanded private investment in

space cargo transport, space tourism, and resource utilization.  

   

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3.2. Culture and Inspiration  

In recent years, a number of agencies have conducted robotic space missions36 that have

uncovered new knowledge about the solar system's past and present and are providing clues to

help humankind understand how life began on Earth. In the coming decade, a variety of new

missions to the Moon, asteroids, and Mars37 will deepen that understanding and shed light on

the possibility of past or present life elsewhere in the solar system.  

Exploring Mars: Inspiration for Humankind

The possibility of past or present life beyond Earth continues to inspire people to reflect on

humanity's place in the Universe. Since the 1970's, space agencies have sent a series of

spacecraft to explore Mars in the search for answers.

Scientists now believe that water may once have flowed

on the surface and that early conditions on the planet

could have supported life. NASA's Curiosity rover, which

has been exploring the Yellowknife Bay area on Mars

since 2012, has discovered new evidence that Mars could

have supported ancient microbial life. ESA and

Roscosmos plans for ExoMars missions in 2016 and 2018,

and NASA's plans for a Mars 2020 rover will make further

progress in the search for signs of life. These missions set

the stage for what scientists agree will bring humankind

even closer to revealing whether Martian life ever

existed: a mission to return Mars samples back

                                                                      to Earth.

Figure 9. From NASA Curiosity Rover:  

Martian landscape looking toward

Mount Sharp near Yellowknife Bay, an

area where researchers have found

minerals indicating the past presence of

water.

The renewed interest in space exploration, generated by work on human missions beyond LEO

is deeply inspirational. These missions will accelerate solar system exploration and discovery by

leveraging humankind's natural ability to analyze and adapt to unpredictable situations. Human

                                                           

36 Recent lunar missions include CNSA's Chang'e 1 and 2, ESA's SMART‐1, ISRO's Chandrayaan‐1, JAXA's Kaguya,

and NASA's LRO, LCROSS, and GRAIL. Recent asteroid missions include ESA's Rosetta, JAXA's Hayabusa, and NASA's

Dawn. Recent Mars missions include ESA's Mars Express, and NASA's Phoenix, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and

Curiosity.

37 Planned lunar missions include CNSA's Chang'e 3, ISRO's Chandrayaan‐2, NASA's LADEE, and Roscosmos's Luna‐

Glob (Luna‐25 and 26)and Luna‐Resurs (Luna‐27). Planned asteroid missions include JAXA's Hayabusa‐2 and NASA's

OSIRIS‐REx. Planned Mars missions include ESA‐Roscosmos’s ExoMars, ISRO's Mangalyaan, and NASA's MAVEN,

InSight, and Mars 2020 mission.

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missions to the lunar vicinity that are being considered for the next decade will lay the

groundwork for exploration of more distant destinations.  

Exploring asteroids: Inspiration for Humankind

              © Twentieth Century Fox                   JAXA’s HAYABUSA‐2                                    

Figure 10. (a) Motion picture poster for the Japanese movie that followed the Hayabusa‐1 mission (b) JAXA

concept of Hayabusa‐2 mission.

Public excitement in Japan reached new heights in 2010 after JAXA's Hayabusa mission became

the first ever to return sample material from an asteroid back to Earth. After the spacecraft

suffered several near‐catastrophic technical problems, the public became enthralled with the

heroic efforts to revive the mission, which was treated as a top news story of the year and the

topic of 3 motion pictures. Samples returned from asteroid Itokawa are being analyzed by

laboratories in Japan, the USA, and other parts of the world.

As the follow‐on mission, Hayabusa‐2 is targeted to be launched in 2014 to asteroid 1999JU3. It

will carry an impactor to create an artificial crater on the asteroid and collect subsurface sample

material. It will also carry Japanese rovers and a lander built by a German‐French collaboration.

It is scheduled to come back to Earth in 2020 with its sample. Hayabusa‐2 will investigate the

origin of organic matter and water in the solar system and how they are related to life and

water in the oceans of Earth.

3.3. New Means to Address Global Challenges  

The next ten years will be essential for building international partnership for exploration. This

will offer opportunities to developed and emerging space nations to contribute according to

their needs and capabilities.

The ability to operate and work with humans in the lunar vicinity will provide new means for

protecting the planet and servicing space‐based assets. NASA has begun planning for a robotic

mission to redirect a small asteroid into lunar orbit to allow for a human to visit it. Space

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exploration missions such as this will contribute to already ongoing efforts to understand the

threat to Earth posed by asteroids, currently mostly implemented through ground and space‐

based telescopes, and to devise means for protecting the planet. Furthermore, stronger

cooperation in space exploration will create opportunities for enhanced international

coordination and cooperation on topics such as space debris management and space weather

monitoring

Cooperation between diverse nations on challenging space projects will showcase the ability to

jointly advance common goals and help to improve diplomatic ties and understanding between

nations.

4. Conclusion 

Space exploration has produced an impressive record of benefits for humanity. This paper has

distilled a body of evidence of such benefits into a few key observations about the capacity of

future space exploration to contribute to innovation, culture and inspiration, and new means to

address global challenges.  

Space exploration has driven scientific and technological innovation that benefits people

around the globe every day. Sending humans and machines into space presents challenges that

are overcome only by the utmost ingenuity; this leads to new knowledge and technical

innovations that are used on Earth in ways that can be dramatic and unpredictable.   

Space exploration serves a cultural and inspirational purpose by fulfilling a deep need to

understand the world, address questions about the origins of life and the nature of the

Universe, and to expand the notion of what it means to be human.

Because space exploration stimulates significant global investment and international

partnerships, and because of its extremely challenging nature, demands the development of

cutting edge technical capabilities, it provides unique opportunities to address some of the

global challenges facing society today. When nations work together on challenging space

missions, this promotes international cooperation beyond the realm of space. It aligns interests

and forges relationships that further peace and stability on Earth.   

There is no activity on Earth that matches the unique challenges of space exploration. The first

fifty years of space activity have generated benefits for people around the globe. This past

record gives strong reason for confidence that renewed investments in space exploration will

have similarly positive impacts for future generations.

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Image Credits 

Figure 2: Exoskeleton (NASA and the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition); Figure 4:

Astronauts: NASA; students: commons.wikimedia; Figure 5: Apollo Earthrise (NASA), Kaguya Earthrise

(JAXA), Cassini (NASA); Figure 6: ISS Expedition 20 (NASA), ISS (NASA); Figure 7: Chelyabinsk meteor (AP

Photo/Nasha gazeta, www.ng.kz); Figure 8: Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity (NASA).;

Figure 9: NASA; Figure 10: JAXA; Twentieth Century Fox.

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