is extensive environmental degradation around the world, posing a serious threat to health and even survival. There are widening and shocking inequities between the 35% of the people who have, and the rest who have not, which may engulf them in a destructive conflict. And last but not least, there is serious and deep concern about the exhaustion of Earth’s material resources due to the insatiable and relentless consumption by ever-increasing numbers, driving man to the last stage of poverty. These problems are by no means simple, nor can they be solved by one nation or a group of nations, nor do we see their immediate solution. It does not seem likely that man will go back to the tranquil, isolated, confined, non- technological existence of the past. Once known, progress cannot be forgotten, whatever the price man may have to pay. Man’s relationship with nature and the universe has been permanently changed. The Space Age and the Global Future It is in the context of the above state of the world and of man’s knowledge that we must explore the future of mankind. Evolution continues forever. We do not know whether man’s nature is undergoing any fundamental change due to the new environment in which he presently lives. Industrialization, a system of mechanical production with an increasingly large number of products for consumption, and urbanization, an agglomerated settlement with huge numbers of industrialized people, arc new dimensions of the future. Once man crosses the boundaries of the Earth, another undefined and important dimension has been added. At this stage, we can hardly measure the unexpected impact of space development on man and his future. As the new potential of space becomes possible, man’s relationship with man and his universe will require fundamentally different arrangements from the ones he has designed and lived with so far. At the outset, the nations of the world must resolve what their priorities are in order to justify the exploration of space. All new ventures are expensive, and those who have waited indefinitely for the benefits of industrialization cannot wait any longer. The new exploration must accelerate the process by which they can join the mainstream. Hence the need for an immediate cost-benefit analysis of each space exploration venture. As the world enters an age of automation, space industrialization is the next stage of development. Space industrialization, as defined, is the production of material, goods and services through developments in space. Barring space military ventures or other negative impacts on human life or on other life forms, it is hoped that if space developments are to be justified they must benefit mankind, directly or indirectly. Such benefits are to be considered in the light of other possible alternatives for meeting the urgent needs of the vast majority of people. At this juncture in the history of mankind, space cannot be considered in a vacuum or purely for the sake of exploration. Therefore, those who are seriously concerned about space exploration should apply the following criteria:
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