During the First Space Age, fundamental scientific research took precedence, followed by engineering efforts and, finally, economic considerations.
In the Second Space Age, the hierarchy of priorities inverted, with the space economy taking precedence, followed by engineering and, ultimately, scientific research.
This brief argues that planetary exploration must evolve beyond extraction and technological ambition, it should also focus on better understanding and protecting the conditions that sustain life on Earth: https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/why-the-space-economy-needs-solar-system-boundaries
orfonline.org
Why the Space Economy Needs ‘Solar System Boundaries’
September 3, 2026 86 1
