In recent times we have forgotten our deep connection with space. Until recently, all it took was one glance at the night sky to see a vibrant universe full of energy, and a little imagination to consider the endless possibilities.
We forget that it was impossible to survive without understanding and exploring our connection with the cosmos. We developed calendars based on lunar and solar cycles – the two heavenly bodies most important to the Earth’s ecosystem – not because we thought they were gods, but because their impacts directly correlated with our being able to find and harvest the food we needed to live sustainably.
Eventually, we learned to compliment our relationship with space with new technologies. In ancient Alexandria, Eratosthenes was able to calculate the circumference of the earth by measuring the length of a shadow cast on the Earth by the Sun while being eclipsed by a stick at noon. Sailors and travellers became experts of the night sky, navigating oceans and continents using stars and galaxies to tell them where they were.
With advances in technology over the past 100 years, we have become more dependent than ever on our utilisation of space, but at the same time our individual connection has been lost. Most people live in big cities where it’s near impossible to see the night sky, and most people have no idea what satellites do for us here on earth while using the term ‘it’s not rocket science’ to contrast easy challenges with something widely considered near impossible.
Today, rocket science is a trivial problem, access to space is within reach of anyone capable of paying a fraction of the cost of a house in a first world nation, and ‘rocket scientists’ are about to become a huge part of the modern workforce. Every industry is increasingly becoming a part of an economy stretching beyond the globe.
Moonshot exists to help the world make this transition to a space economy while rebuilding our relationship with space.
Space isn’t just a location above the sky. Our planet – the cradle of humanity and, as far as we know, the only location of life – is an astoundingly tiny dot in the infinite abyss of the universe. We are a part of space. Humanity, representing life that is sentient and sapient, for the first time has greater power than any of the gods of our ancient stories.
50 years ago we were promised access to new wealth and opportunity as we witnessed the first satellites being launched into orbit and the first people being sent to the Moon and back. Today, that promise is coming to fruition as we’re learning to better utilise unique locations of space beyond our traditional reach. We’re learning to use earth orbit for manufacturing new medicines and to mine the Moon and Mars of resources to make small pockets of those locations hospitable.
We’re on the verge of a Cambrian explosion of new opportunity. I hope you’ll decide to join Moonshot and together we can realise this vision.
Ad astra,
Troy McCann
Founder of Moonshot
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