…Dr Kam Ghaffarian, world-leading space expert and founder of IBX and Axiom Space, believes our expansion into space is part of our DNA. “Us humans are explorers,” he explains. “Generally speaking, I think that we like to know what's going on and where things are. The universe is so huge, and we're just such a small dot. So just getting to know what else is out there, not only within our solar system, but beyond our galaxy, it's just part of our human inclination.”
Beyond exploration, creating a new economy will be important, he adds: “Manufacturing, for example, and 3D printing, and biological research – there are many areas that can help us on our planet. We can look at what the International Space Station has been able to do in Earth science: research into infectious diseases, medical specialties, brain research, biotechnology, and chemistry have all been furthered by our expansion into space.” Plus, there are the predictions that we can make from space he points out: “satellites that currently are in orbit that help us with weather forecasts, climate, all of these things are the benefits of space exploration.”