Edwina Paisley - What is the Value of Space: The Ex Terra Podcast

What is the value of space? That was the question posed by Inmarsat that resulted in a 51 page report that explores the value of space across a wide range of business leaders and citizens from 11 countries around the world.

On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, host Tom Patton talks with Edwina Paisley, senior director of spacecraft programs for Inmarsat, which commissioned the survey. The company received some 20,000 responses to the survey, and some of the results are not only interesting, but surprising.

For instance, the “What on Earth is the Value of Space” report found that 21% of people associate space with ‘aliens’, 14% with ‘science fiction’ and 10% with ‘Star Wars’ – compared with just 8% for ‘communications & connectivity’ and 3% for ‘broadcasting & television’. As memories of the first Space Age recede, maybe perceptions are being shaped more by popular culture – and less by the true role of space in everyday life.

Younger people who have grown up with cell phones and the Internet tend to be among those who most closely associate space with aliens and UFOs, and also with billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. By contrast, older people who grew up during the first space race see space as being more about exploration and research, as well as radio and television communications.

That’s just a tiny sampling of the results of the report. Clearly, there is a lot of diversity of opinion concerning the value of space, and the industry has a lot of work to do … and a lot of opportunity … when it comes to changing those perceptions.

Report available at: https://www.inmarsat.com/en/insights/corporate/2022/value-of-space.html

How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.