Meadows on the Way to Mars: Creating Future Spaceflight Capabilities

In: World futures review: a journal of strategic foresight, Band 6, Heft 4, S. 378-389

Abstract

This article addresses factors that will influence future human spaceflight missions. A fictional Mars expedition vignette highlights how a future Mars expedition may be tied to societal challenges and research priorities on Earth. Historical aspects of the Apollo era are used to emphasize sociotechnical factors that can influence goals, priorities, and larger societal effects of spaceflight. Current cultural and technology factors will strongly affect spaceflight in the year 2035. However, sociotechnical disruptions influence the robustness of mission planning efforts. The goal is to recognize and prepare for a range of possible futures affecting spaceflight mission scenarios.