The Next Industrial Revolution Is Underway— 250 Miles Up

Global Aerospace Editorial Team, February 2, 2024
Space and Satellites

We are on the doorstep of the most profound industrial revolution in human history. The world is entering a new era of unprecedented economic activity marked by the transition from 60 years of space exploration to a future in which we extend our cities, communities, and factories into space.

Humanity’s next chapter will be defined by unlocking the next great discoveries using new, commercial, on-orbit infrastructure just 250 miles above the Earth’s surface to harness the incredible potential of microgravity. One leading commercial space company, Sierra Space, has plans to build and operate microgravity “factories of the future” in low Earth orbit (LEO) to harness the unlimited potential of space to disrupt terrestrial industries and benefit life on Earth.

The Massive Potential of Microgravity

Microgravity holds the power to unlock massive potential. The fundamental gravitational forces experienced here on Earth, such as buoyancy, convection, and sedimentation, can be controlled in microgravity, enabling new breakthroughs in industries such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, advanced materials, health and wellness, avionics, education and more.

The near-weightless environment in LEO can help us find solutions to dramatically enhance the quality of human life and increase our longevity by years if not decades. It can greatly accelerate our ability to cure many diseases, combat the unpleasantries of aging and exponentially increase knowledge of the human body’s diseases and aging mechanisms.

The International Space Station (ISS) changed our planet through a myriad of scientific advancements.

Fundamental disease research in microgravity is helping experts better understand Alzheimer’s, asthma, heart disease and cancer. Researchers have invented new water purification systems, learned how to grow food, and made discoveries about muscle atrophy and bone loss. Since 2013, nearly all…