Essays and Manifestos

The Big Picture - - Essay by astronaut John Young about the need to preserve our species by putting humans permanently on the moon and Mars.

Bioterrorism May Spur Space Colonies - - Plans to save civilization by sending people and important documents into space in a 21st Century "Noah's Ark" might get a boost from fears of bioterrorism.

The Case for Space Colonization Now - - Detailed argument for space colonization by Oscar Falconi.

Colonies in space may be only hope, says Hawking - - Interview with Britain's Daily Telegraph in which eminent cosmologist Stephen Hawking warns that the human race is likely to be wiped out before the millennium is out unless we set up colonies in space.

Death and Time Travel - - Essay, with interesting illustrations, on suspended animation as a route to colonizing the stars.

Foreign Affairs: A Hopeful Future for Mankind - - Louis J. Halle, formerly of the U.S. Department of State, writes in Foreign Affairs (Summer 1980) that space colonization will protect humanity in the event of a global nuclear war (subscription/payment required for full article).

The Greater Earth Manifesto - - A strong statement on the human space imperative by a group of European organizations.

Interstellar Ark - - An analysis of methods for interstellar travel, with a focus on perhaps the most realistic option for success - a large vehicle capable of sustaining thousands of inhabitants for hundreds of years.

Letters from the National Space Society - - A collection of letters in support of space exploration, sent to and published in newspapers and other media around the world.

A Million Reasons to Go To Space - - Brief thoughts from dozens of (mostly) NY space activists on why we need to be in space.

National Space Society: Statement of Philosophy - - Vision of "people living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth".

NSS Policy Committee: Position Statements and Alerts - - Collection of statements on space policy, including essays on colonization and use of space resources.

Our Future in the Cosmos - - Essay by Isaac Asimov about the need for the future settlement of space.

The Political Economy of Very Large Space Projects by John Hickman, Ph.D. - - Explanation of why large space projects (such as solar power satellites, O'Neill colonies, etc) will necessarily be government funded public works, at least at first, rather than created through pure private enterprise.

Sagan's rationale for human spaceflight - The Space Review - - Essay describes space scientist Carl Sagan's thoughts on why human flights to space should continue.

Solar Power Satellites - - A brief essay on Solar Power Satellites, a key element of O'Neil's High Frontier progra.

Somewhere Else Entirely - - A reminder for the 21st century, on why O'Neill's vision of orbital habitats still trumps "planetary chauvinism", at least in the medium term.

Space and Human Survival (Sylvia Engdahl) - - An essay by science fiction author Sylvia Engdahl on why colonizing space is essential to human survival.

Space and survival - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - - Encyclopedia article on the relationship between the colonization of space and the long-term survival of the human species.

Space Colonization and SETI - - Interview with Gerard K. O'Neill by John Kraus of COSMIC SEARCH.

Space Quotes to Ponder - - Over 100 brief quotations explaining why expansion of civilization into space is essential to the future survival and evolution of humankind.

The Space Review: The Space Flag - - Article by Michael Huang suggesting a new "space flag" as a rallying point for human colonization of space.

Spaceflight or Extinction - - Manifest page with links to scientists advocating space colonization.

Syliva Engdahl on space - - Essays, quotes, and a radio interview from science fiction author Sylvia Engdahl, about the importance of expanding beyond Earth.

The Top 3 Reasons to Colonize Space - - SPACE.com asks Freeman Dyson and two other space-colonization enthusiasts why we should go beyond our home planet.

Top Ten Reasons to Inhabit Outer Space - - Report from the news service space.com about experts' opinions on why we should colonize space.

The top Three Reasons for Humans in Space - - Short manifest for space colonisation.

Why We Do -- and Must -- Go Into Space - - Essay by Jeffrey Liss of the National Space Society, on the many reasons behind our drive to do things in space. [PDF.