WATTS' RESPONSE TO 'THE UNINHABITABLE EARTH'
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UCF Research
laying groundwork
for off-world colonies
Space economy estimated at $1.1 trillion by 2040
University of Central Florida
IMAGE: Samples of asteroid regolith simulant that were used in developing standards. Credit: UCF: Karen Norum
Before civilization can move off world it must make sure its structures work on the extraterrestrial foundations upon which they will be built.
University of Central Florida researchers are already laying the groundwork for the off-world jump by creating standards for extraterrestrial surfaces. Their work was detailed recently in a study published in the journal Icarus.
“I’m firmly convinced that by the end of the century there will be more economic activity off planet Earth than on planet Earth,” says Phil Metzger, a planetary scientist at UCF and lead author of the study.
