Humans have not gone far
in space. It turns out to be a lot more difficult to get there and
stay put than we ever thought.
Part of the reason is it
makes no economical sense now to occupy space. Capitalist economies
have no use for it
except where it may create markets.
Right now the markets are
weather, GPS and communications.
Communications will mean internet at high speed so that the other half
of the world may join the internet.
But these needs require
only Earth orbit. They do not need the Moon or Mars or
asteroids and will not for at least a century.
Meanwhile, Earth falls
apart and makes it even less likely that space industrialisation will
save it.
To occupy space we must
re-think the survival of Earth.