Geopolitics goes into orbit as Tim Marshall looks at how exploring space will change our world
Review by Bryony Cottam
We’re headed back to the Moon and this time we’re there to stay. Will it be a mission for the benefit of all humanity? Unlikely, says Tim Marshall in his new book, The Future of Geography – at least, not unless we see a lot of changes, and we’re running out of time to make them.
In his latest analysis of international relations, Marshall turns his attention to the skies and the geopolitics of outer space, or ‘astropolitics’. If you’re wondering how geography relates to space, you may be surprised (as I was) to learn that it has its own geographical features – from Earth’s own debris-cluttered low orbit and mineral-rich Moon to gravitational corridors and strategic locations.
Not only that, but the lure of space has long shaped human history. To demonstrate this, Marshall begins with a recap of how we first got to the Moon, and the motivations for doing so. We learn how the technologies of the three main space superpowers – China, Russia and the USA – have developed, and the future problems that may arise as we seek to further explore and exploit this new territory. Most are the near or far future’s problems, but not all; Marshall briefly touches on the issues of solar flares – sudden, huge explosions of intense radiation from the sun – which have the potential to destroy existing satellites and incapacitate the multitude of infrastructures that rely on them. The risk of this happening is low, but not inconceivable. What are we doing about it, asks Marshall. Not a lot.
This lack of planning doesn’t bode well for future space activities. In fact, in the chapter Outlaws, Marshall reveals just how woefully inadequate our existing space treaties have already become. And change is coming along faster than you or I may have realised. For example, did you know that astronauts on board the ISS have successfully created living tissue using a 3D printer – a step towards human organ printing? Or that private companies are working on contracts to remove space debris with harpoons?
The Future of Geography is a fascinatingly insightful book, written with humour and excitement about the road ahead. But it’s also a cautionary tale of what could happen unless we can work towards greater international collaboration and transparency. As Marshall says, what happens in space is an extension of the geopolitics of our own planet, and will, in turn, have consequences for us down here on Earth.
