I was on the space show recently to discuss my research on mass value, and its implication for space policy. I will also be presenting this at the upcoming Mars Society virtual conference, which is shaping up to be a big event. I thought I would add this blog to the discussion.
My background is in software engineering and astrophysics. I did not consider the large scale expansion of humanity into space a realistic possibility for my adult life – I had read breathlessly enthusiastic books about our future in space as a child, but viewed this mostly as a fantasy when I became an adult.
However, in December 2015, the first landing of a Falcon 9 booster changed my mind. Many projects had promised to revolutionise space in the past – the Shuttle, DC-X, VentureStar – but all had turned out to be vapourware. Now there was a company who were able to actually realise these dreams. SpaceX changed the landscape of launch. It made the settlement of the solar system a real possibility in the near fu…
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