Monday, December 24, 2018

Apollo 8 and the Overview Effect: Part Two

Many contemporary commentators on the Overview Effect imply that it began with the Earthrise photo. They say things like, "When humans first saw the Earth from space..." as if it was at that moment on the Apollo 8 mission that the Overview Effect became a reality.

In fact, it was on the Apollo 8 mission that we first saw the whole Earth from space in an image sent to us by astronauts (there had been some less remarkable photos sent by probes that were not piloted).
However, strictly speaking, the first true experience of the Overview Effect took place when Yuri Gagarin went into orbit in 1961.

However, this perception is a testimony to how powerful this image really is. The iconic picture snapped by Bill Anders, with a little help from his fellow crew members, has taken its place among media that have reshaped our views of ourselves and our place in the universe. Alongside that photo is "the Blue Marble" picture shot by the Apollo 17 crew in 1972 and the "pale blue dot" image transmitted to us by the Voyager I spacecraft in 1990.

In terms of impact, "Earthrise" has been highly significant. At a recent conference in the Netherlands, Big History expert Fred Spier gave a talk on how the photo was received in the United States and abroad. He also told us that it changed his life and set him on the path of attempting to grasp "the big picture" ever since.

A few days ago, four astronauts and their colleagues held a celebration of Earthrise at the Kennedy Space Center and launched the Constellation Foundation and its new project, "Earth2068." The Overview Effect has been  referenced as an inspiration for the event and Nicole Stott and Ron Garan, two astronauts who were interviewed for my book, are founders. (Ron wrote the foreword to the third edition of The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution and Nicole has written the foreword to the fourth edition.)

These are just a couple of the ways that Earthrise has influenced subsequent events since that difficult year, 1968. We have just gone through another difficult year for many people on Spaceship Earth. However, speaking as one who experienced both 1968 and 2018, can I say our world is better because of that photo?

Yes!

Copyright, Frank White, 2018, All Rights Reserved

The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution is available at aiaa.org and amazon.com 


The New Camelot: the Quest for the Overview Effect is available at Apogee Prime




http://www.cgpublishing.com/prime/bookpages/9781926837383.html



Friday, December 21, 2018

Apollo 8 and the Overview Effect: Part One

As many of you are aware, this week marks the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 8 mission to the moon. Much of the attention is focused on the amazing "Earthrise" photo taken by astronaut Bill Anders, in which the Earth appears to rise above the lunar surface. It is a startling reversal of our usual perception, where the moon rises above the terrestrial surface.

However, there was another important moment on that mission, at least in terms of the Overview Effect. That was on the way to the moon, when the astronauts turned their video camera around to show us a somewhat blurry picture of the whole Earth. It was the first time in history that human beings had seen the Earth from that vantage point and then shared it with their fellows back on the planet. It was not the first time the Overview Effect had been experienced, but it marked a new phase in the evolution of our consciousness as a result of space exploration.

I was in London at the time, after a terrible year for the United States. In 1968, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated, our cities were in flames, and the war in Vietnam went from bad to worse. At that moment when the astronauts showed us our planet as a unified whole, not as a chaotic and divisive place, I felt hope for the first time in quite a while. I didn't fully understand why, but as 1968 drew to a close, I began to look forward to 1969.

Today, after 50 years of thinking about that moment, I believe I am just beginning to understand how profound it really was.

More later!

Copyright, Frank White, 2018, All Rights Reserved

The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution is available at aiaa.org and amazon.com 


The New Camelot: the Quest for the Overview Effect is available at Apogee Prime




http://www.cgpublishing.com/prime/bookpages/9781926837383.html


Thursday, December 13, 2018

A Historic Day

Make no mistake about it: Virgin Galactic's flight today is a BIG DEAL. It means that we are closer than ever to the moment when any one of us might be able to experience the Overview Effect directly and completely. I believe we will look back at this day with some of the same sense that history was being made as we have over the past 60 years of other amazing achievements in spaceflight.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/13/virgin-galactic-flight-could-send-first-astronauts-to-edge-of-space.html


Virgin's two pilots on the Unity spacecraft became astronauts by reaching an altitude officially designated as "space." They are the first human beings to do so on a private, or non-governmental, spacecraft. More important, however, is what comes next, when Sir Richard Branson and his team begin flying the hundreds of people who have signed up to take a suborbital hop, experience weightlessness, and see the Earth from a distance. So far, some 550 government employees and/or a few private citizens have had this fantastic experience of the Overview Effect, a cognitive shift in worldview that takes place when one sees the Earth from space or in space.


I believe, and many others have come to believe, that when this takes place on a large scale, life on our planet will begin to change in fundamental ways. Our world will change because our worldview will change.


I had the privilege of interviewing Sir Richard Branson, who founded Virgin Galactic, for the third edition of The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution. He made it clear in our conversation that he wants to "democratize space" and give everyone the opportunity to have this extraordinary experience. As he said, "Space travel needs a new birth, because governments can only go so far with things, and if we can tap into the desire to go into space, incredible things can come from it."


https://www.amazon.com/Overview-Effect-Exploration-Evolution-Library/dp/162410262X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544743508&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Overview+Effect


Incredible things indeed!


Copyright, Frank White, 2018, All Rights Reserved


The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution is available at aiaa.org and amazon.com 


The New Camelot: the Quest for the Overview Effect is available at Apogee Prime




http://www.cgpublishing.com/prime/bookpages/9781926837383.html

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Space in New England: We Need an Alliance


            Hiawatha Bray, a columnist for the Boston Globe, recently wrote an eye-opening article about entrepreneurial space companies in New England. 
            According to Bray, New England, which has been on the leading edge of the computer and biotech revolutions, is starting to seize on another big opportunity: the explosion of interest by private enterprise in space exploration and development. 
            Long the province of government agencies, space has become a hot destination for venture capital investment and a Morgan Stanley report estimated that “NewSpace” could grow into a trillion-dollar industry.
https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/investing-in-space
            While NewSpace is, well, new and these estimates may be high, real economic opportunities already exist beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. As satellites have shrunk in size and launch costs have plummeted, this segment is powering the revolution, providing services from crop monitoring to humanitarian assistance, weather forecasting to maritime navigation.
            Like the computer industry in the 1980s and 1990s, space commerce has moved out of the government domain into the realm of eager entrepreneurs, bringing with it benefits for terrestrial industries and consumers alike. 
            Other cities, regions, and states have openly grasped the implications of these developments and put out the welcome mat for space commerce companies. So why is it that New England is not seen as a regional leader in the field?
            In fact, there may be more going on than meets the eye.
Space in New England
For example, Bray points to a number of small companies, some new and some mature that are vigorously pursuing space-related ventures. In addition, a group of faculty, staff, and students at Harvard, MIT, and other institutions are promoting an effort to establish an interfaculty initiative on space exploration and development for the two institutions. Just outside of Boston, Framingham State University (FSU) is home to the Christa McAuliffe Center for Integrative Science Learning, established in the aftermath of the space shuttle Challenger explosion to honor the FSU alumna.  Director Irene Porro also leads the MetroWest STEM Education Network (MSEN) which is dedicated to promoting quality education and career pathways in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the MetroWest region.
ORGANIZATION
WHAT THEY DO
CITY
Accion Systems
Developing scalable electric propulsion technology for satellites. Their ion engine is lighter, more efficient, and more powerful — and can be manufactured hundreds of units at a time.

Boston
Analytical Space
Creating a network to get satellite data to ground quickly and affordably using lasers.

Cambridge
Busek Co.
Provides high-performance propulsion electronics and systems for spaceflight. Founder and president just won NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal

Natick
Draper
Nonprofit R&D company doing work in aerospace and defense. In May, Draper’s software helped guide a rocket Mission to Space Station. Draper provides the fault-tolerant computer design, the guidance, navigation and targeting software, and the software that enables Cygnus to rendezvous and berth with the ISS. Roots go back to 1934 at MIT, and guidance systems for Apollo in 1969.

Cambridge
TellusLabs
Deriving insights from satellite imagery to solve social problems, e.g., food scarcity, water resources, and forest management. Combines machine learning, statistics, remote sensing and geospatial sciences.

Cambridge
Triton Space
An engineering design and manufacturing company that specializes in low-cost practical rocket propulsion systems.

Boston
Harvard/MIT and others
Cross-faculty, cross-institution working group fostering numerous initiatives on space-related issues.
Cambridge
Framingham State
Developing an educational project called “The Moon Landing in Context” about Apollo program from both an engineering/technical perspective and the social context of the 1960s, e.g., poverty and civil rights.
Framingham

[Chart courtesy of Brodeur Space Group]
At MIT, Amherst and Harvard graduate and former astronaut Jeff Hoffman manages the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium (MASGC)To further the development of space science and space engineering opportunities, MASGC funds a multi-disciplinary educational program. It is one of 52 Space Consortia established by NASA under the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program created by Congress in 1987.
            Taken together, the region can boast a significant level of involvement in the rapidly growing “NewSpace” movement.  As Natalya Bailey, co-founder and CEO of Accion Systems puts it, “It’s not surprising that my co-founder, Louis Perna, and I came to Boston from other parts of the United States. The city is one of the world leaders in R&D and innovation, and we have no doubt that NewSpace will continue to grow and thrive here.”

However, the activity is, to a large extent, under the surface compared with, say, the hotbed of effort in New York City, which is being stoked by the New York Space Alliance (NYSA).
The New York Example
            Led by entrepreneur and Columbia University faculty member Sidney Nakahodo, NYSA promotes entrepreneurial space ventures by tapping the New York financial, business, academic and creative communities. As an entity that bridges the gap between the public sector, corporations, and NewSpace ventures, NYSA is becoming a force to reckon with.
According to Nakahodo, the growth of NewSpace will depend on and contribute to local entrepreneurship ecosystems. “It’s a win-win situation where such linkages promote economic development, attract talent, and foster innovation with spillover impact beyond the space sector,” says the NYSA cofounder. 
A New England Space Alliance

            The United States once led the way in space exploration, with New England institutions playing a major role in the nation’s success with programs like Apollo. Today, the U.S. faces competition from emerging space powers like India and China and new missions as NASA prepares to return to the moon. In time, the region might naturally link up with like-minded entrepreneurs in New York and the Mid-Atlantic states to create an even more robust center of space commerce.
            As a new space renaissance begins, a New England Space Alliance would be good for the region, the country, and the world.Space 

Friday, August 31, 2018

The "Earthrise App"

Fifty years ago this Christmas, Apollo 8 traveled to the moon. It may have been the most important mission to date, as an Overview Effect moment. The astronauts did not land but they did orbit the moon and at one point as they rounded the far side, they saw something extraordinary hanging in the lunar sky---our very own Earth!

They had already "blown our minds" on their way to the moon by turning their cameras back to look at the whole Earth, the first time human beings had ever shown the complete image of the home planet to their fellow humans.

This reversal of perspective truly revealed the Earth for what it is: a planet in space, aka "Spaceship Earth." Over time, we have come to realize that all of us are astronauts on this natural spaceship as it courses through the universe.

We realize it intellectually, but our experience is the same as that of our ancestors hundreds, even thousands, of years ago.

So many of us who are interested in the Overview Effect believe that if we could provide the astronaut experience to surface dwellers, it would make a huge difference in the behavior of people on "Spaceship Earth."

Recently, one of these "Overviewers" got in touch with me and David Beaver to discuss an idea he had for an application that would bring home the reality that we really do live on "Spaceship Earth" and that we are really the astronauts of this spacecraft. His name is Mike Turney and his application is called, appropriately, "Earthrise."

Here are some of Mike's thoughts on "Earthrise:"

"Considering the almost certain exponential global increase in Internet connectivity coupled with growing access to inexpensive devices the world is poised for an on-line explosion connecting billions of people. What if we could create a phone/tablet application that would connect these people while giving a instant and visual human pulse of the planet? An app that would allow the user to experience real-time global feedback depicted graphically onto the surface of a beautiful 3D/360 photorealistic globe of the Earth floating in space. 

"The two constant themes would BE the Earth as a visual whole and visually sharing this Earth with one another in real time.

"Imagine, for example, a simple 'Question of the Day' posed to the world, only to see the results to that question light up on the surface of Earth?  Think of the opportunities with the type of global questions that could be asked, ones which drill down illuminating our common humanity sharing this planet together.

"Other related uses for a format of this kind could include:

*To poll the planet on important subjects affecting all people. 
*The ability to build consensus on matters of concern in concert with the ability to visually depict consensus (and dissent) on the globe.
*The ability to instantly ping other participants or events from and to anywhere in the world resulting in visual tidal waves. (These pings are quantifiably visible in real time on the surface of the globe.)
*The ability to orchestrate global events visually and in real time.
*The ability to formulate global opinion and policies.
*Reinforcement of One People/One Planet/Spaceship Earth."

David and I discussed the concept at length with Mike and we like it.

We pointed out that you can't always control how people behave on the Internet, so this app might draw trolls who would try to take it in the wrong direction.  

Yet Mike believes the specific design of the app could focus the conversation in a way that stays on topic, emphasizing our fundamental human likenesses, needs and desires.

If you are interested, please contact Mike at miketurn@hotmail.com and include in the subject line "Earthrise."













Monday, May 28, 2018

Tenth Anniversary of Overview Institute Founding

Ten years ago, David Beaver, Alex Howerton, and I announced the establishment of the Overview Institute at the International Space Development Conference in Washington, DC.

Our goal was to create an organization that would be responsible for conducting research on the Overview Effect, sharing our findings with the world, and advocating for its importance in addressing critical world problems.

We had 22 founding members at the time, all of them outstanding leaders in their respective fields.

I think we have made some good progress in achieving our mission, but there is much more to do.

For example, we have recently seen the establishment of the Overview Institute of Australia and the Overview European Forum.

https://www.overviewinstituteaustralia.org

http://overviewforum.com

In subsequent blogs, I am going to try to do a systematic review of our accomplishments over the past 10 years and also look ahead to the next 10.

Copyright, Frank White, 2018, All Rights Reserved

The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution is available at aiaa.org and amazon.com 

The New Camelot: the Quest for the Overview Effect is available at Apogee Prime

http://www.cgpublishing.com/prime/bookpages/9781926837383.html

Friday, February 16, 2018

New space philosophy website announcement

I am very pleased to be working with Dylan Taylor and Rick Tumlinson on the launch of the new space philosophy website, 2211.world. Here is the full press release;

Contact Information: Frank White
Email: editor@2211.world


For Immediate Release
February 15, 2018

Why do we go into space?
New Website Opens Discussion of Space Philosophy

(Denver, CO, February 15, 2018): Within 20 years or less, we expect that the first humans will be living in space, from the Moon to Mars and even beyond. 2211.world is the planet’s first open source platform dedicated to creating the philosophy for the opening of the space environment to humanity. Founded by well-known space leaders Dylan Taylor, Rick Tumlinson, and Frank White, 2211 is designed to encourage conversations about the “Why?” of the human expansion beyond the Earth.

“We’ve been exploring space for over 50 years and it’s time we had a discussion about why we are doing it and how we will shape it,” said Dylan Taylor, global executive, Co-Founder of the Space Angels investment group and of Space For Humanity. “Opening space is about more than science and engineering. It’s about people, life, and our human future.”

The name 2211.world raises the question of what life will look like 250 years after the famous flight of Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961. The flight, part of a Cold War “space race” between two governments, culminated with humans walking on the Moon more than 50 years ago – and once the race was won, seems to many to have led nowhere. After the explosion of the shuttle Challenger in 1986, Tom Wolfe, author of The Right Stuff appeared on television and said, “We have never had a philosophy of space exploration.”

“We need a system of fundamental principles and ideas to guide us as we migrate into the solar system,” said Frank White, author of the seminal book, The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, in which he made an early call for a philosophy of space exploration, citing the Wolfe comment. “In this new Space Age, we need to be very clear on ‘Why’ we are going, as that will determine how we go and what the end result will be. If we are to avoid mistakes that have been made on terrestrial frontiers, this is the moment in history to have that conversation.”

The Founders of 2211 believe that humanity needs to develop a set of core principles as we begin the human expansion outward. There are scores of questions to be answered about both why we are going and how we will act when we are out there.  There are high-level guiding concepts such as: What is the relationship between science, exploration, and settlement?  What are the roles of the world’s governments, militaries, and the laws of Earth? Each of these opens other discussions. For example, how do we treat alien life, how do we treat each other, who has what rights and what are they?

 “The last wave of exploration of the new worlds of Earth was about government and commercial exploitation, and while these will be involved, we have the chance right now to change the context in which it occurs, and to define what we want the outcome to be.” said Tumlinson, founder of the Space Frontier Foundation, Deep Space Industries, and one of the leaders of the commercial space revolution. “We are engaged in an act of creation. We can make this next chapter of human life about anything we want. For example, imagine if our motivation was to spread life to the dead worlds of space. How would it feel to be part of a culture with that as its driving goal?”

While the Founders of 2211 believe government bodies are important in setting the rules and laws that manage our interactions, they feel that philosophical principles need to  be in place that guide those governments, ideas that transcend governments and that have not been set for the space environment. At this moment in time, space has no borders, no governments, and only a minimal legal order. In the past, the voices of Voltaire, Jefferson, and the others whose ideas helped inform policies and the creation of new forms of government and the culture of today were easily available to thinkers and decision makers, but in today’s world such ideas are scattered across a thousand platforms and publications. 2211.world hopes to give them a home.

From Elon Musk to Jeff Bezos building their own spacecraft, to NASA, ESA, and the Chinese planning  settlements and villages on the Moon, to private space station and asteroid mining companies planning their first missions and facilities, the human expansion into the solar system is already underway. The founders of 2211.World believe that this marks the beginning of a spacefaring civilization. The new website offers all of us a place to think and talk through how we are going to shape this historic moment. Like 2211.world , space is a blank slate where new ideas and concepts can be tested and tried and old ideas can evolve in novel ways.

-#-


Tuesday, January 2, 2018

A New Space Philosophy Website

Anyone who has been following my writings for the past 30-40 years knows that I have been advocating the development of a "philosophy of space exploration," a rigorous analysis of human purpose in the universe.

In fact, that was one of the primary motivating factors in writing The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, and it the essence of my new book, The Cosma Hypothesis.

Well, thanks to Dylan Taylor, we now have a website, 2211.world, devoted to establishing a new space exploration philosophy.

If you are interested in this topic, I urge you to check out the site and add your thoughts to it.

Here is the link:

http://2211.world