Digital Sprocket

When spaceflight supporters enthusiastically discus the possibility of spreading human colonies across the solar system, they often focus on technical requirements. They argue over what boosters are needed to launch the colony’s infrastructure and supplies. They worry over the design of closed loop environmental systems, microgravity farming, and even genetic diversity. All these challenges must be overcome before permanent, self-sufficient human colonies exist, but these are not the most important keys for establishing colonies. If you want human settlements on Mars, the Moon, or elsewhere, we must establish economic reasons for them to exist. If we can accomplish this task, then the rest of the technical challenges will no longer appear so daunting.

Let’s examine, for a moment, the European colonies in North America. The Greek and Phoenician colonies around the Mediterranean would also serve, but as an American, I know more about the history of my own nation. None of these colonies were established as an experiment in self-government. They were not established by people who thought colonies should be created to hedge against the possibility the Europe would be destroyed by war, environmental catastrophes, or acts of God. They were not established by people hoping to further human technology by conquering a new environment.

The first European visitors to the New World were looking for trade routes and new resources. Spanish and Portuguese colonies became successful when they found gold and became profitable operations. This spurred many others to search for precious metals throughout the Americas. Fishing fleets plied the North Atlantic and found large schools of fish off the coast of Newfoundland and New Amsterdam, which later became New England after the British took the colony away from the Dutch. Further north, timber and fur trade supported the French Colonies in Canada and south through the Mississippi watershed.

Tobacco and cotton were so important to southern colonies in North America because they were in high demand in Europe and provided a ready cash crop. New England found wealth in the less glamorous but equally vital grain trade. Wheat and other grains grew well in New England, which also boasted many small rivers to power gristmills. The grain was grown and ground into flour before being shipped down the same rivers to the coast.

Conditions in the colonies were awful at first. Tradesmen, adventurers, paupers, and religious outcasts grew up in “modern” European cities found nothing but a wilderness when they arrived in the New World. We all know the story of how the Pilgrims would have died in their first winter if the Indians had not come to their rescue. This little scene is memorialized in our Thanksgiving Day celebrations. When you may not realize is that although many Pilgrims became farmers, but that’s not what they had planned to do. They brought everything they needed to build a perfect society, except farmers and farming equipment. They were planning to live off regular supplies from England. Jamestown in Virginia was established under the same assumption, as were many other colonies.

Most colonies did not become self sufficient for several generations if ever. Even when they grew enough food to feed themselves, Europe still sent cheaper and better manufactured goods. On their return trips to Europe these ships filled their holds with raw materials and foodstuffs from the colonies. The balance of trade was in the favor of the mother country. This is why the colonies existed and received continued support from home. The new settlements fattened the coffers of their founding nations and it’s corporations. Without this economic incentive, there would have been little drive to colonize the New World.

As for space, we don’t have any clear economic reasons to colonize our solar system. There are several possibilities. Asteroid mining may provide a source of valuable minerals. If large-scale fusion power generation becomes a reality, the H3 mining on the Moon could be profitable. Microgravity may yet prove perfect for growing some important crystals or medications. These are certainly no the only ideas bandied about for space based businesses, and if history is any indicator of the future, it is certain that there are many more we have not yet imagined. As soon as someone proves that any of these industries is economically feasible, then others will happily invest the time, money and talent needed to solve the technical hurdles of colonization. Economics will drive the settlement of our solar system. If it is profitable, it will happen. It’s that simple.