The Space Age: A Force For Good?

Published by Stephen Milward in Science And Technology · Tuesday 27 Jan 2026 · 2 minutes
Tags: Space, Age, technology, exploration, innovation, science, benefits, challenges, space, exploration, societal, impact, future, of, space

I was five weeks old when the Russians launched Sputnik 1 (i) in 1957. It was an event that changed how people looked at the world, led to technological advancements over the decades which modern life uses everyday day, and spurred innovation, curiosity and knowledge. After the trials of World War 2, it heralded a new age of advancement.

After the 'Space Race' (ii) of the 1960s, ending with the Moon landings, international collaboration grew, more countries joined the space club and exploration by robotic missions were launched. Probably the most famous of these were the Voyager missions (iii) to the outer planets in 1977. This collaborative endeavour is present today with the International Space Station (iv).

In my view, this has helped with the political environment between countries. Just think what the world might be like now if the Americans and Russians had not worked together in the 1970s.

So far, so good. We are here now in an age of space tourism, private companies, the richest people looking to space as a personal possession and the exploitation of minerals from the Moon. Is this what we want?

Possibly. There's no question that the modern world would look very different if it wasn't for the exploration of space. But I question the ethics of such further exploitation. Planetary environmental concerns have to play their part in the future decision-making process.

But capitalism sees space as a market and the profit motive will lead to a rush to exploit. Private companies are embedded in the space market, seeing opportunities to make money. Shouldn't space be a place for us all, not just the wealthy? I'm worried about a future where space isn't democratic, but is 'owned' by a very few.

Science has gained by the exploration of space, feeding Man's innate curiosity. We know so much more about who we are, our place in the universe and the wonders of astronomy. I don't want that to stop, I just want it shared by us all.

(i) Wikipedia: Sputnik 1

(ii) Wikipedia: Space Race

(iii) Wikipedia: Voyager program

(iv) Wikipedia: International Space Station