SPACE GREED

Space is home to crucial resources, important discoveries, and big potential profit; examining whether outer space could become a place where billionaires and mega-corporations operate above and out of the reach of the law.

Human needs have always created opportunities for human greed; energy might be the most crucial need of all; if, one day, an ambitious corporation was able to control the sun, could there end up being a subscription fee for sunlight?

Once humans have managed to get a handle on building structures to live on the harsh, dangerous surfaces of other celestial bodies, what is to stop them from trying to change entire planets to suit their needs?

There are only a handful of rocket launches every year. But that’s going to change. And each rocket that gets fired off has an impact on the atmosphere. Will Earth be able to survive hundreds, or even thousands, of fuel-burning rocket launches every year?

The moon is rich in rare earths, metals, and the highly sought-after isotope Helium 3; with NASA planning to make a manned return trip to the moon by 2024, some giant corporation could turn moon dust into a cosmic-sized payday.

Running out of crucial resources and materials is only a matter of time; the asteroids flying through the solar system contain tons of precious metals, stones, and more; the astronomical profits from mining asteroids could all hype.