Space exploration in the 21st century will push beyond earth-orbiting infrastructure established during the first 50 years of spaceflight – weather, earth observation, telecommunications, navigation and space-science – towards deeper space infrastructure, modular and serviceable architectures, longer-duration human spaceflight and sustainable exploration of more remote, hazardous yet lucrative destinations than ever before.

The next decade alone will witness breakthroughs in commercial space transportation, on-orbit servicing, planetary defence, human and robotic missions to the Moon, Mars & asteroids, and even the first steps towards space-based energy and resources. With new levels of international cooperation, major advances in micro and nano space technology, the rise of social media and emergence of viable private enterprise, space exploration is truly entering a new era.