Advertisement

© 2018

Space Capitalism

How Humans will Colonize Planets, Moons, and Asteroids

Benefits

  • Contextualises space travel and colonisation within historical economic thought applied to earth, including Adam Smith’s thoughts on traditional forms of property and governance

  • Offers an academic perspective on current private projects in space travel and technological breakthroughts such as Virgin Galactic and Skreemr

  • Explains how public/private partnerships fail

  • Explores how and why states destroy the promise of space exploration

  • Explains how a laissez faire view enhances the promise of space travel and colonization

Book
  • 10k Downloads

Part of the Palgrave Studies in Classical Liberalism book series (PASTCL)

Table of contents

  1. Front Matter
    Pages i-xvii
    PDF
  2. Privatize Space Travel!
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 1-11
  3. Man’s Inhumanity to Man
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 13-26
  4. Why Privatize Anything?
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 27-39
  5. Why Privatize Space Travel and Colonization?
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 41-50
  6. Ownership Concepts
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 51-62
  7. The Moon
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 63-69
  8. The Inner Planets and Extra-Terrestrial Moons
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 71-90
  9. The Gas Giants
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 91-97
  10. Asteroids, Comets, and Other Non-Planetary Objects
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 99-118
  11. Space Boondoggles: NASA, STEM Subsidies
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 119-136
  12. Public Goods: Basic Research and Terraforming
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 137-156
  13. Space Law
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 157-172
  14. Timing
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 173-181
  15. Who Are the Libertarians in the Space Initiative?
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 183-212
  16. Space-Oriented Writers
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 213-238
  17. Conclusion
    Peter Lothian Nelson, Walter E. Block
    Pages 239-242
  18. Back Matter
    Pages 243-317
    PDF

About this book

Introduction

This book compares and contrasts the motivations, morality, and effectiveness of space exploration when pursued by private entrepreneurs as opposed to government. The authors advocate market-driven, private initiatives take the lead through enhanced competition and significant resources that can be allocated to the exploration and exploitation of outer space. Space travel and colonisation is analysed through the prism of economic freedom and laissez faire capitalism, in a unique and accessible book.

Keywords

Space Capitalism Free enterprise Classical liberalism Space travel Space colonization Economic freedom Space economics Virgin Galactic Skreemr Market-driven entrepreneurship Resource allocation Adam Smith Private space entrepreneurship Government-private sector

Authors and affiliations

  1. 1.PL Nelson Engineering Inc.Lakewood, COUSA
  2. 2.Loyola UniversityNew Orleans, LAUSA

About the authors

Peter Lothian Nelson has masters degrees in engineering and divinity. He has over 40 years of experience in civil engineering and forensics, and is the former president of PL Nelson Engineering Inc, USA. 

Walter E. Block is Harold E. Wirth Endowed Chair and Professor of Economics, College of Business, Loyola University New Orleans, and senior fellow at the Mises Institute. He earned his PhD in economics at Columbia University in 1972. He has taught at Rutgers, SUNY Stony Brook, Baruch CUNY, Holy Cross and the University of Central Arkansas. He is the author of more than 500 refereed articles in professional journals, two dozen books, and thousands of op eds. He lectures widely on college campuses, delivers seminars around the world and appears regularly on television and radio shows.  He is the Schlarbaum Laureate, Mises Institute, 2011; and has won the Loyola University Research Award (2005, 2008) and the Mises Institute’s Rothbard Medal of Freedom, 2005; and the Dux Academicus award, Loyola University, 2007.

Bibliographic information