{"id":639850,"date":"2019-02-08T09:00:30","date_gmt":"2019-02-08T08:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ieinsights.cherrypickpre.es\/?post_type=articles&p=639850"},"modified":"2019-03-12T10:23:35","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T09:23:35","slug":"a-conversation-with-james-murray-of-offworld-conquering-space-requires-a-business-model","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/articles\/a-conversation-with-james-murray-of-offworld-conquering-space-requires-a-business-model\/","title":{"rendered":"A conversation with James Murray of OffWorld: \u201cConquering space requires a business model\u201d"},"featured_media":642639,"template":"","meta":{"_has_post_settings":[]},"schools":[29,33,35],"areas":[16,21,26],"subjects":[],"class_list":["post-639850","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","schools-business-school","schools-human-sciences-and-technology","schools-university","areas-competitiveness-growth","areas-innovation","areas-technology"],"custom-fields":{"wpcf-article-leadin":["Human migration to other planets could be just around the corner. Projects currently underway are pursuing a wide range of goals\u2014from colonizing Mars to tapping asteroids as an energy source. A new space race is upon us. This time, however, the question is not who can get there first, but who can develop the right business model. In this conversation with William D\u00e1vila, Head of Corporate Relations at IE Business School, OffWorld co-founder James Murray argues that space exploration must yield tangible benefits for our planet."],"wpcf-article-body":["William D\u00e1vila:<\/strong> The space industry will be a driver of growth<\/a> in the coming years, thanks in part to NewSpace initiatives. Private companies and entrepreneurs<\/a> are forging ahead in a new space race. Where does OffWorld fit into this picture?<\/span>\r\n\r\nJames Murray:<\/strong> We founded this company two and a half years ago with the aim of preparing other worlds for human industrial civilization. We are developing an intelligent, autonomous, robotic workforce that will enable us to achieve this goal. I am convinced that this technology<\/a> will benefit everyone here on Earth.\r\n\r\nThat\u2019s really our calling. We\u2019ve been working in this direction for more than 20 years. At OffWorld, we are convinced that human beings at the dawn of the 21st<\/sup> century are on the brink of becoming a universal species. We are working on various aspects of this challenge, including transportation and all the things we will need when we reach our faraway destinations.\r\n
One peculiar aspect of investigating technology to build colonies on other planets is that this innovation will also be very useful for solving problems here on Earth.<\/blockquote>\r\nWilliam D\u00e1vila:<\/strong> Speaking of faraway destinations, why do you feel it is important to go to space when there are still so many challenges and so many new opportunities to explore here on Earth?<\/span>\r\n\r\nJames Murray:<\/strong> We now have a new frontier. Over the centuries, humans have occupied extreme environments all over the Earth, finding ways to adapt and make a living in every corner of the globe. This restlessness is part of what it means to be human, so it\u2019s only natural that we will eventually go into space. There are countless explanations: we\u2019re curious, we want to expand, we want to explore. But we also expect that the journey beyond our atmosphere will yield remarkable new discoveries\u2014things we never imagined could exist, things that will benefit all of humanity.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWilliam D\u00e1vila:<\/strong> Let\u2019s talk a little more about the ways in which these advances will benefit all of humanity. For more traditional sectors and industries, what new business opportunities will be opened up by space exploration?<\/span>\r\n\r\nJames Murray:<\/strong> One peculiar aspect of investigating technology<\/a> to build colonies on other planets is that this innovation<\/a>\u2014this workforce of industrial robots\u2014will also be very useful for solving problems here on Earth. This is where short-term business opportunities come into play. These robots will be very valuable for improving our quality of life and the business of industrial civilization.\r\n
There\u2019s no point in going to space without a development plan. We have to get the technology right, and we\u2019ve got plenty of time to practice here on Earth.<\/blockquote>\r\nWilliam D\u00e1vila:<\/strong> Some of the technologies<\/a> being developed for this space race will also be useful in other fields. Which technologies do you think have the most crossover potential?<\/span>\r\n\r\nJames Murray:<\/strong> We should distinguish between companies that develop space technology<\/a>\u2014which is clean, sophisticated, and very advanced\u2014and companies like OffWorld, which develop innovations<\/a> for space settlement. Settlement is somewhat less glamorous: it involves mining, construction, industrial processes, and so on. But this is the stuff that we need to survive on other worlds. The idea is to send this sort of capability to the surface of the Moon, or to Mars, or to asteroids. This is a complex challenge, but it\u2019s essential as a starting point.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWilliam D\u00e1vila:<\/strong> Lately we\u2019ve been hearing a lot about Mars as a short-term goal and rather less about the Moon. Do you think the Moon should be a part of any future space plan? And, relatedly, why should we explore Mars?<\/span>\r\n\r\nJames Murray:<\/strong> It could be the Moon or Mars\u2014it largely depends on which planet is in fashion at any given moment. In any case, there are certain strategic<\/a> reasons why the Moon is the best choice right now. The Moon is like a base camp or a filling station\u2014a place where we can acquire lots of useful materials. The discovery of water 25 years ago is another key factor. If you have water, you also have oxygen and hydrogen. This means that you can grow food and process whatever materials may be present on the lunar surface\u2014for example, titanium and iron.\r\n\r\nAs for Mars, we\u2019ll eventually get there. It\u2019s a bigger planet with a reasonable atmosphere\u2014although not dense enough to sustain life. Mars would be the natural second or third step in human expansion. Over the next hundred or two hundred years, industrial civilization will expand throughout the solar system.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWilliam D\u00e1vila:<\/strong> In any case, the preparations are more complex for Mars than for the Moon, although Mars does have certain resources that make it very attractive\u2026<\/span>\r\n\r\nJames Murray:<\/strong> The Moon is relatively close, so we can actually get there quite quickly. The better we prepare our capabilities here on Earth, the faster we\u2019ll be able to go. There\u2019s no point in going somewhere without a development plan. We have to get the technology<\/a> right, and we\u2019ve got plenty of time to practice here on Earth.\r\n
Putting solar panels into orbit is a way to gather energy and transmit it down to Earth to complement all the renewable-energy initiatives now being put in place.<\/blockquote>\r\nWilliam D\u00e1vila:<\/strong> As you mentioned before, the Moon offers certain important resources, although some asteroids are also home to various materials of interest. Can we use the same technologies<\/a> to take advantage of these resources in both cases?<\/span>\r\n\r\nJames Murray:<\/strong> With the technology<\/a> currently available, mineral extraction is a relatively simple activity. The difficulty depends largely on where you decide to go\u2014to the lunar surface, or to a particular asteroid. There are many different types of asteroids. Some contain volatiles such as water. Some are pure metal. Others are like a desert\u2014full of sand. Ultimately, the technique used will depend on the specifics of the mission.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWilliam D\u00e1vila:<\/strong> As competition has grown in the space industry, the cost of sending payloads into space has fallen. What other sectors could be affected by this decrease in costs?<\/span>\r\n\r\nJames Murray:<\/strong> One of the interesting aspects of colonizing space is that it leads to developments that benefit civilization here on Earth. It makes no sense to send someone into space unless we get something in return. These missions have to have some value. Right now, one of the biggest values is the ability to gather energy from orbit and transmit it down to Earth to complement all the renewable-energy initiatives now being put in place. This is a relatively simple step towards weaning ourselves off our dependence on fossil fuels, which is a problem that we absolutely must solve this century.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nJames Murray<\/strong> is a co-founder of OffWorld, a company dedicated to developing the first generation of autonomous robots that will lay the groundwork for a sustainable presence on the Moon, Mars, and many asteroids as an extension of our activities here on Earth.<\/span>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u00a9 IE Insights."],"wpcf-article-extract-enable":["1"],"wpcf-article-extract":["Conversation between William D\u00e1vila and James Murray<\/strong>. Human migration to other planets could be just around the corner."],"wpcf-article-summary-enable":["1"],"wpcf-article-summary":["A new space race is underway, generating challenges quite unlike those of 20th<\/sup>-century space exploration. The main problem is not technological; the necessary tools have already been developed. The challenge is to come up with a good business plan. It makes no sense to colonize faraway planets unless society obtains something in return, such as new energy sources or a better quality of life. The best strategy is to test innovations here on Earth before sending them into orbit. Without a strategic plan, space exploration will remain the stuff of science fiction rather than becoming a reality for various organizations. In this interview, OffWorld co-founder James Murray discusses his company\u2019s goals in this field."]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/639850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/642639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=639850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"schools","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/schools?post=639850"},{"taxonomy":"areas","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/areas?post=639850"},{"taxonomy":"subjects","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subjects?post=639850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}