Summary of SGAC 50 Years Visions Project

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the Sea - Antoine de Saint Exupery

These words of famous author and poet Antoine de Saint Exupery resonate with the Space Generation’s visions for the next 50 years in space project. The project initiated in late 2006 has brought 900 different visions together from around 300 young students and professionals across the globe. This exercise collected some of the most inspiring thoughts on our future and laid out milestones by which this collective vision can be brought to fruition. The study has gained international interest from several agencies, UN bodies and industry alike. We invite you to take a look at the highlights of this project, the tremendous potential it presents in inspiring youth all over the world and in helping them engage in desirable visions for all of us. We are embarking on the most exciting phase of the project now and we look forward to you joining us on this incredible journey.

Latest Updates

Download the latest Poster for the SGAC 50 years visions Project!

Representatives from Australia, Germany, India and Korea that met at the Space Generation Congress 2008 have laid a plan for the publication of a few products that will allow us to further this work.

Collectively we will be working on and looking for YOUR input to:

• Organizational framework for a book and its editing process featuring the visions thus collected from the series of youth consultations under the 50 years visions project.
• A draft of an executive summary (10-15 pages)
• A structure and preliminary draft of the book scheme

Highlights so far:

SGAC, in partnership with the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, the Boston University Center for Space Physics, The Planetary Society and the Secure World Foundation, is conducting an ongoing project to determine youth visions for the next 50 years of space exploration.

The first stage of the project saw 900 youth visions supplied in an online survey, which were summarised by a team of youth volunteers and presented at the symposium "The future of space exploration: Solutions to earthly problems" taking place in Boston, USA that took place from 12 - 14 April 2007 featuring prominent individuals such as Freeman Dyson and Dr Harrison Schmitt.

• See Tiffany Frierson's report from her visit to Boston

• See Shi Heng's report from his visit to Boston

We hope to capture the input in a publication tentatively titled: "Looking Back, Looking Forward: The Next Generation's 50-Year Vision for Space". Questions that have emerged in the survey include:

• What will space look like in the next 50 years?
• How can we learn from our history on earth as we move into this next frontier?
• How can we create opportunities for sustainable, beneficial and effective use of space?
• Who will decide these questions?
• How will conflict of interests be settled?
• What new systems, structures and paradigms do we need as we begin this new adventure?

Download the round 1 preliminary results!
Download the presentation

In June 2007, SGAC presented the 50 years visions study to the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space General Assembly in Vienna. The input from SGAC was acknowledged and has gained support of several heads of delegations, evident still when more young people from SGAC attend the UN COPUOS Sessions.

(You can register your interest here)

Read the Statement
Download the report

SGAC continued on the 50 years project by a shorter survey on the visions, but now focusing on use of space technologies and assets to address ‘earth-ward’ problems in early February 2008. The results of the second survey were briefly presented to the audience of the 12th Symposium of the International Space University.

The aim was once again to provide youth visions that answered the following questions:

• What are the biggest challenges facing us globally?
• What are the challenges you think we are closest to solve?
• What is the role of space technologies in helping solve the global challenges?
• What are the specific recommendations we can take to policy makers?

Download the presentation

SGAC also presented a consolidated review of the recommendations brought forward by the contributions of young people to the 50 years visions study at the International Astronautical Congress 2008 in Glasgow, UK.

Download the presentation

Download the paper

A team consisting of 4 individuals representing Australia, Germany, India and Korea that met at the Space Generation Congress 2008 have laid a plan for the publication of a few products that will allow us to further this work.

The main outputs in the 3 days of focused work on the project included important steps towards:

• A poster that can be used to advertise the project. Download a copy
• Organizational framework for a book and its editing process was discussed and agreed upon.
• A draft of an executive summary (10-15 pages) was prepared
• A structure and preliminary draft of the book scheme was prepared

The team has agreed to keep other SGAC members who had expressed interest in being part of the SGC team and those who were at SGC 2008 as well as the SGAC community at large. The current documents are shared via the ’50 years Products Factory’ and working documents shall be updated and shared by different members at the ‘50 years Products Factory Floor’. These online spaces will be populated with more products as the SGC 2008 team collaborates through the year. The targeted date for said final products is October 2009. The team is determined to source a mechanism, which is cost effective, i.e. either surpassing publishing fees and inventory overheads by digital ‘pay-as-you-print’ publishing or via separate sponsorship. The team shall seek advice from SGAC working groups (Fundraising, communications and PR, etc) and SGAC Executive Council to progress work on the different aspects.

Become a participant

The Space Generation is an active online community and projects like this are put together with the efforts of volunteers like yourself. To take part in this project check out the Participants Information.

Subsquent phases will see follow-on surveys and the possible development of a roadmap for the future of space exploration.