Potential Futures in Space
Our future in space is not fixed.
There are many possible futures in space. Everywhere on Earth, people bring their own values, dreams, and motives to visions of space. Our ideas for living, working, and playing there are always changing.
Humans have long wondered if we might one day travel the cosmos and inhabit other worlds. Popular media, in particular science fiction, has often provided an outlet for people to imagine various futures in space.
In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space, bringing us closer to the future humans had been imagining for centuries. Since then, humans have continued to push further into space, and for longer periods of time.
But even if our visions for our future in space vary, we all have a role to play in asking—and answering—some big questions.
Our Potential Futures in Space Will Be Shaped by the Answers to these Questions
Explore a few of the many reasons humans go to space.
Learn how humans might be able to live in space or on other worlds.
Understand the history of who has made decisions about space travel in the past, and who might be involved in the future.
Engage with art, science fiction, and imagination about futures in space.
Why Go?
There are plenty of reasons to go to space. Motives overlap, conflict, and change over time. Some people argue the risks of going are too great or the money should be spent on solving problems on Earth. This section explores some of the reasons we have gone to space in the past, as well as some motivations people have for futures in space.
Why Go?
To Answer Scientific Questions
One reason for going to space is to conduct scientific research. This research helps inform our understanding of space as well as of our own planet.
For example, during the six crewed visits to the lunar surface during NASA’s Apollo Program, astronauts collected and returned countless samples of rocks from the lunar surface. The resulting research helped us better understand the geological history of the Moon, as well as Earth.
Pictured: Astronaut-scientist Harrison Schmitt collects Moon rock samples as part of Apollo 17 in 1972, the last human mission to the lunar surface.
Why Go?
To Boost National Pride and Influence
Politics and national pride have long shaped travel to space. Governments implement policies that decide how and why people go to space. Countries often compete for space leadership. Many people feel proud when their nation engages in space activities. Others are critical.
National pride and influence have been major motivations for space travel in the past. In the second half of the 20th century, the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in the Space Race. Before a watchful world, each side sought to demonstrate its superiority through impressive feats in rocketry and spaceflight.
For Americans, the Space Race was won when Apollo 11 astronauts set foot on the Moon in 1969. When they returned home, they were met with a hero's welcome.
Apollo 11’s acclaim wasn’t exactly universal. Many people, all over America, had reservations about spending billions of dollars on space exploration instead of solving problems on Earth.
In 1972, the Apollo 17 astronauts splashed back down on Earth. They were the last humans to visit the Moon. Why has it been so long since humans have been back to the lunar surface?
Why Go?
To Meet Military and Defense Needs
Conflict and competition have long shaped how and why countries go to space. Some governments want a presence there to defend their citizens, land, and resources on Earth. Science fiction often includes stories of protecting people and territories in space.
Militaries depend on space-based tools every day. They help gather intelligence, improve weapons, and coordinate missions. Rockets, satellites, and launch sites enable this work.
The Aerobee-Hi was the U.S. Navy and Air Force’s rocket of choice for atmospheric and space research. This type of rocket was in use from the 1950s through the 1970s. The model pictured here has markings from the Naval Research Laboratory.
What Can We Do to Thrive in Space?
Traveling to another world is hard. Staying there is even harder. Humans have adapted to living on Earth, but not on other worlds. To thrive in space, we have to find ways to survive in extreme and hostile environments.
Before the late 1950s, scientists knew little about what lay beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Today, uncrewed spacecraft provide critical information about the conditions humans might one day encounter in space.
Earth is our oasis in space. If we are going to live on another planet in the future, we will likely need to find a planet with similar conditions to Earth.
Whatever humans do in space in the future, robots will almost certainly be there with them.
Today, many efforts are underway to answer questions about what it would look like for humans to inhabit other worlds.
Who Decides?
What happens in space hinges on who has a say—and their priorities. When it comes to possible futures in space, we have some big decisions to make: who gets to go to space, who governs it, who benefits, and more. Nations, businesses, and people just like you all have their own ideas for how to use space.
Looking back at the history of spaceflight, it has largely been governments involved in space exploration and decisions related to it. More recently, private industry has become involved.
Is space travel just for world superpowers? In 1964, Edward Makuka Nkoloso challenged this assumption when he announced the formation of the Zambian Space Program. What were Nkoloso's motivations, and what was the enduring legacy of Zambian Space Program?
What Futures in Space Do You Imagine?
Space has long sparked our imaginations. Artwork, books, movies, and other media depict and respond to possible futures across different cultures, times, and places. In many ways, these spaces are some of the first places humans have tested out their ideas for potential futures in space.
Science fiction allows us to imagine what happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, or to boldly go where no one has gone before. Through science fiction, we're able to explore new frontiers in science, innovation, and society.
Have you ever imagined what it’s like to be an astronaut? To train for missions and fly in space? Very few people will have a chance to experience space. For decades, attractions on Earth—like Space Camp—have enabled millions of people to satisfy their curiosity and fuel their passion for space travel.
An important part of science fiction, Afrofuturism is the reframing and reimagining of the past, present, and future through a global Black lens rooted in the African diaspora.
Exploring Futures in Space in the Museum's Art Collection
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In "Viaje Espacial," Mexican surrealist painter Sofia Bassi (1928-1998) depicts a journey through space with a vehicle in the shape of a seed pod.
Viaje Espacial
(Space Travel)
Sofía Bassi
Mexican
Oil on canvas, 1969
Bassi’s painting explores the connection between life and the universe. A human-like creature floats, like a seed pod in the wind, on a vessel through a surreal cosmos.