Four non-professional astronauts launched into space this month on the Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon crew capsule from the United States to orbit Earth for 3 days. The Space X mission was funded by American billionaire Jared Isaacman.

These astronauts  were not seasoned astronauts with big experience; they were four people chosen to do a space mission that represented personal rather than governmental interests. 

This is one of the many very cool and interesting things that is happening in 2021 as the race to space continues .

While there are 14 people in space at the moment, down here on Earth, the space community got together in Colorado Springs, Colorado to meet, greet, discuss and celebrate innovation and the future of the next frontier.

The 36th annual Space Symposium was held at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The symposium  brought together leaders from every facet of the space community from around the world to discuss, address and plan for the future of space.

This year, the Space Foundation team  welcomed more than 9,000 people from around the world, including speakers, attendees, exhibitors, volunteers, educators and students.

Space Symposium is considered the premier U.S. space policy and program forum and a “must attend” opportunity for information on and interaction among all sectors of space to plan and support the future of space and innovation.

Attendees represented all sectors of the space ecosystem from multiple spacefaring nations: space agencies; commercial space businesses and associated subcontractors; military, national security and intelligence organizations; cyber security organizations; federal and state government agencies and organizations; research and development facilities; think tanks; educational institutions; space entrepreneurs and private space travel providers; businesses engaged in adapting, manufacturing or selling space technologies for commercial use; and media that inspire and educate the general public about space.

The conference allowed the space community an opportunity to examine space issues from multiple perspectives, to promote dialogue and to focus attention on space issues that will impact earth based on innovation, research and development.

Space Symposium has been the stage from which many notable space leaders have addressed the world.  This has included Richard Branson and Elon Musk,  Vice President of the United States, cabinet officials such as the secretaries of commerce, transportation and defense, secretaries of the Air Force, directors of the National Reconnaissance Office, commanders of United States Strategic Command, United States Northern Command and Air Force Space Command, NASA, NOAA and FAA administrators, heads of global space agencies, members of Congress and senior industry executives, as well as a host of national and state officials, astronauts and private space travelers.

Space Symposium's tremendous exhibit center featured two major halls for over 200 exhibitors. The mind-boggling exhibits covered a broad range of the latest in space innovation, ranging from nanotechnology to full-scale spacecraft and including a space bar and space store.

Numerous well known corporations were there like Lockheed Martin, Firefly and iSpace.

Dan Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit  was interviewed at the Space Symposium. He discussed the incredible enthusiasm that the community shared at this event about the exploration of space and said “ It is in our DNA to go forth to find out and to explore”. According to Hart his company is committed to space to “save Earth” referring to climate change and communication throughout the globe.

NASA is working on sending humans to deep space. The Moon is considered to be the pivotal place for deeper space missions.  In 2040 there is expected to be a community of 10,000 people living in space valley. Numerous exhibits demonstrated how the necessary materials to be used on the Moon and to explore extraterrestrial worlds could be created.

Escapade, a company located just north of Denver, will be sending 2 space craft that fly in formation to Mars.

Another company named Lunar Post has had its first payment on a space resource contract, the first ever of its kind. It will be sending robotics to the Moon to help build habitable living places there as well as for deep space missions, including to Mars.

Resources that are on the Moon, hydrogen, oxygen and rare earth elements, can turn things into habitats. These are found at the South Pole of the Moon. Robotics will be sent to the South Pole of the Moon to start to find these resources and  mix necessary materials for habitats.

For every mission from Earth to Mars, the Moon will be utilizing resources on the  lunar surface and offering refueling on the way. Robotics will also be used in deeper space for system sustainability. 

There has been an enormous acceleration in the space sector driven by technology and capital.

One of the major innovation focuses is on satellites. Power systems are more efficient and electric propulsion is more advanced. The  cost has come down astronomically to launch them into space and they are being built all over the world. Small launches are ramping up with 80 countries having spaceports and 10 countries able to launch rockets.