many cases, such as asteroidal mining of metals, the effects would be highly beneficial by removing highly-polluting activities from the Earth's biosphere. 5. Is it possible to control military developments in space? This question has no simple answers, but deserves careful consideration from all sides. 6. Finally, how can terrestrial and space science and technology be combined for maximum benefits to all of humanity? This question is open ended; perhaps it is best addressed on a case-by-case basis during the early design stages of new projects, whether on Earth or in space, whether the project is being implemented in a developed country or a developing country. To ignore either space technology or Earth-based technology in the effort to improve the human condition would be foolish. Careful consideration of these issues by those working toward the advancement of the developing countries will, we are confident, convince them that space technology has much to offer these nations. V. RECOMMENDATIONS As research scientists closely identified with the possibilities of advanced space technologies discussed earlier, our primary purpose in writing this paper has been to make known to the citizens of all nations the new possibilities now emerging, and to urge upon all nations the importance of avoiding three tragic mistakes: 1. The mistake of thinking that the new resources beyond the biosphere of Earth are limited in quantity and thus concluding that it is appropriate to restrict their use. Such a mistake would delay the use of these resources at all and would thus delay their use to relieve problems of the developing countries. 2. The mistake of ignoring these resources and thus, by inaction, permitting their possible misuse by a limited number of nations solely for their own benefit. 3. The mistake, through ignoring these new resources and thus the importance of their environment, of idly standing by, while outer space becomes merely an extension of petty nationalistic military confrontations which still afflict the surface of the Earth for historical reasons and for the defense of “limited” territory and resources. To avoid these mistakes and to foster greater international cooperation, we urge the peoples and the governments of the developing countries to seize every opportunity to join in this new direction of economic and technological growth by the use of space technologies in their own countries; by the encouragement of progress in the development of space resources at the earliest date; and by participation by some of their own citizens in the development of space for the benefit of all humanity. One major way in which a developing country can make use of the growing opportunities in space at reasonable cost is to establish and maintain (perhaps in connection with an appropriate governmental department or a university) a satellite receiving terminal capable of receiving remote sensing data for that country direct from space. With a limited number of personnel trained to use this equipment who can keep abreast of developing technology, the received information can be used to the benefit of that country while a sense of trust in, and expectation for, the use of space observation systems grow throughout the government and the people. In view of the enormous benefits which may result from vigorous utilization of the vast resources of outer space, we urge the developing nations to gather information on the new possibilities discovered in the past decade for the use of these resources
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==