Space is just another place where humans are going to live. And because space is almost limitless humans are going to live there in vast numbers in the future - in other words, it will become a whole new habitat.

Today most activities in space are government ones because getting to and from space is so expensive. Once travel to and from orbit is cheap enough, as on Earth, most activities in space will be carried out by individuals, private companies and organizations. At that time space activities will involve almost every industry - not just the aerospace industry but construction and interior design, catering and drinks, fashion and music, sports and entertainment, advertising and law, to name just a few.

Obviously, if people are going to live in space, they are going to need somewhere to live. Hotels are all very well for tourists, but workers will have more practical needs for their permanent accommodation - being close to work for one.

Living in space for long periods of time, or even permanently, is far more serious a prospect than merely staying for a few days or weeks. Much research in space today concerns the effect on the body of living in weightlessness or "zero gravity" for long periods. While this isn't a concern for tourists (we already know that living in zero G for a few weeks has no harmful effects) the long-term effects of low gravity have both benefits and drawbacks to health.

20 September 2008
Added "Evaluation and Comparison of Space Solar Power Concepts" to the archive.
30 August 2008
Added "Elements for a Sustainable Lunar Colony in the South Polar Region" to the archive.
7 July 2008
Added "What the Growth of a Space Tourism Industry Could Contribute to Employment, Economic Growth, Environmental Protection, Education, Culture and World Peace" to the archive.
28 June 2008
Space Future gets a face lift - every page has been updated with a new look, improved navigation, contextual side bars, and many other tweaks. The Space Future Journal now lets you filter more easily by category or topic, as well as by author. You can also resize an entire page by increasing or decreasing the font size. We're not quite done yet, so please let us know what you think!
14 April 2008
Added "Flight Mechanics of Manned Sub-Orbital Reusable Launch Vehicles with Recommendations for Launch and Recovery" to the archive.
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Like any new habitat, space has its own rules
Workouts and wellbeing in Zero-G

Wanted: Flat, 5 minutes from work, good view...
Space Hotels are already on the drawing board
for Orbital Hotels

Current laws will have to change to work in space

and Weightlessness
And then there's that space activity...
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