such materials for building purposes are beyond the reach of most developing countries at present, produced en masse, such materials could provide a solution to the housing problem which defies all the cost considerations if the traditional materials such as steel, cement and bricks are to be used. The gigantic task of meeting the shortage of 150 million housing units in developing countries would indeed justify newer materials and techniques experimented within space. Energy Most of the developing countries are starved of energy. India, at the mercy of foreign loans, is offered an assistance of 150 million dollars by Japan for the energy sector alone. Hopefully, considering the shocking differential of consumption between the industrialized and less-developed countries, one wonders where the real energy crisis is. The OECD countries used up approximately 48% of global primary energy whereas developing countries used 16%. An average farmer in Asia uses less than 1% of the energy consumed by an average American. For the majority of people in Africa, Asia and South America the major source of energy is firewood, which is being depleted so fast that in many parts of the world the loss of topsoil, the erosion of land and desertification have become serious threats to their ecosystem and consequently to their survival. Energy from space for Earthlings is still a long way off. A vast amount of research in the utilization of solar energy is underway around the world. Through available solar devices, it is possible to meet at least 50% of the needs for cooking, drying and even pumping in the villages of the Third World. Simultaneously, other energy sources such as biogas and fossil fuels should also supplement these needs. But none of these sources can meet the demands of industrial development at a reasonable cost. Hence, if solar power satellites can provide clean, perpetual and possible cheap energy to these people, a new thrust can be given to their development. From the available research the SPS seems to be a viable concept, though it seems very expensive and twenty-five years away. But in time no other energy source seems more attractive and powerful than that of bringing large-scale energy from the sun perennially. The greatest threat facing Third World development is the unprecedented militarization - now space militarization - pursued by the superpowers. It is estimated that soon these countries may expend up to 70% of their space budget on military activities. If outer space is ever fully militarized, the security of developing countries and even the very survival of man on Earth will be threatened permanently. The only recourse for these countries is to pursue vigorously the peaceful use of outer space as has been done by the United Nations. This is why the second U.N. Conference on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space has been directed towards the developmental issues of the Third World. In short, for the countries of Asia, Africa and South America the urgent task is to set up their own space agency which will accomplish goals of important development for their people through space science and technology.
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