Space Exploration Opportunities for Future Leadership
Explore various mechanisms and advantages of space missions focusing on colonization, energy, military, propulsion, asteroid defense, and international collaborations.
Space Exploration Opportunities for Future Leadership
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Presentation Transcript
Criteria for a Good Aff—Musts • Topicality—little reason to lose on T • Interest—affs take a lot of work, need to be willing to read a lot about your topic • Government Key Warrant—reason why a private actor cannot do the plan • U.S. Key Warrant—reasons why another government cannot do the plan • Short-Term Advantage—impact claim that you can leverage against politics et al. DAs
Criteria for a Good Aff—Plusses • Link angle on politics • “Trick” that can be used to confound generics—often uniqueness based • Internal links to a wide array of potential advantages
Topic Advantages • Alien contact • Colonization/get off the rock • Competitiveness (industry-based) • Aerospace • Defense • Economy/space commerce • Energy/resource access • Environment • Hegemony/space leadership • Overview effect • Science/knowledge is good • Space weaponization good/bad
Colonization • Mechanisms • Develop propulsion mechanisms • Facilitate space access • Increase resource availability • Advantages • Cultural development/stagnation • “Eggs in one basket” • Economy/space commerce • Energy/other reousrces • Overview effect • Weaponization
Mars Mission • Mechanisms • Robotic exploration • “Traditional” crewed mission • “Mars Direct” mission • Advantages • Colonization • Competitiveness • Frontier mentality (cultural advancement) • Science
Moon Mission • Mechanisms • Build a Moon base • Establish a property rights regime • Advantages • Colonization (esp. Mars… “energy cheap” resources for space missions) • Competitiveness • Leadership—win the “moon race” • Resource access—particularly energy
Energy • Mechanisms • Lunar He3 mining • Lunar solar power • Solar power satellites • Advantages • Climate change/other environmental • Colonization • Competitiveness • Economy/space commerce • Energy shortages/conflicts • Leadership—space and terrestrial
Non-Energy Resource • Mechanisms • Asteroid mining • Lunar mining • Advantages • Colonization • Platinum Group Metals (PGM) good—electronics/tech for military, green applications • Rare Earth Elements (REE) good—same
Military • Mechanisms • R&D vs. deployment (or potentially both) • Space-based missile defenses • Space-based ASATs • Space-based STEW weapons • Space Force/Spaceguard • Advantages • Competitiveness • Deterrence • Leadership—terrestrial and space
Space Access • Mechanisms • Constellation (reusable crewed vehicle) • Railguns • Reusable uncrewed vehicles • Space elevator • Transorbital railroad • Space junk removal • Advantages • The topic
Propulsion • Mechanisms • Antimatter • Ion drives (electric) • Nuclear propulsion—fusion and fission • Plasma/electrothermal • Solar sails • Tethers • Advantages • Colonization • Competitiveness • Science • Weaponization
Asteroid Defense • Mechanisms • Detection—ground and space-based • Characterization • Defense—nuclear, non-nuclear kinetic, tug/mass driver • Advantages • Armageddon • Colonization (via mining) • Competitiveness • Weaponization
Exploration Missions • Mechanisms—go check out… • Asteroid belt • Comets • NEAs • Jupiter & its moons • Kuiper belt • Pluto • Advantages • Science?—good real world, less good debate world
Remote Sensing • Mechanism—fund one or more of the missions that NASA has cancelled (climate, soil moisture, precipitation, etc.) • Advantages • Competitiveness • Environment (warming and agriculture) • Science
Deep Space/Origins • Mechanism—fund it more • Advantage—science
International Space Station • Mechanism • Invite someone else • Add a module or mission • Life extension • Advantages • Coop good (country specific) • Leadership—soft power based • Science
SETI • Mechanism • Give UC-Berkeley some money (general funding) • Space-based platforms • Advantages
India • Mechanism—joint cooperation on • ISS • Launch vehicle/access • SSP • Advantages • W/e you cooperate on is good • India soft power • India-U.S. relations
China • Mechanism—joint cooperation on pretty much any aspect of the topic • Advantages • W/e reason the program is good • China soft power • China-U.S. relations
Export Controls • Mechanism—remove one or more restrictions on tech transfer/technological collaboration • Advantages • Competitiveness • Coop good (relations) • Economy/space commerce • Leadership (soft power internals)