What is it about?

This article presents Humanitatis rationalis, a comprehensive socio-economic model designed to address modern challenges arising from automation, ecological fragility, and inequalities in resource distribution. Grounded in historical philosophical thought, technocratic concepts, and resource-oriented frameworks (e.g., Jacque Fresco’s Venus Project), Humanitatis rationalis integrates progressive taxation, basic absolute income, direct democracy, and AI-driven analytics. Emphasizing ecological sustainability, inclusivity, and adaptive governance, the model aims to foster a society that balances innovation with ethical responsibility, ensuring long-term resilience. By merging insights from classical utopias, modern democratic principles, and cutting-edge technologies, Humanitatis rationalis offers a roadmap for evolving social institutions—where human welfare, environmental stewardship, and equitable access to resources become the guiding tenets of a just, stable, and sustainable future.

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Why is it important?

Enabling Sustainable Deep-Space Exploration Launching mass from Earth is extraordinarily expensive (≈ $10,000–$20,000 per kg to LEO). Harvesting water ice on the Moon or hydrated minerals from asteroids for life support, radiation shielding, and rocket propellant (via electrolysis) drastically lowers mission costs and complexity. In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) turns lunar or asteroid outposts into self-sustaining hubs, reducing reliance on Earth-launched supplies and enabling permanent bases. Economic Growth and New Industries Space mining of platinum-group metals, rare earth elements, and volatiles presents multi-trillion-dollar markets. Companies like Planetary Resources (now AstroForge) and Deep Space Industries have already begun prospecting for high-value targets. A robust space-resource economy stimulates Earth-based high-tech sectors—advanced robotics, AI autonomous prospecting, precision refining in microgravity—and creates highly skilled jobs. Earth’s Environmental Relief Extracting scarce or environmentally damaging minerals from asteroids alleviates terrestrial mining pressures—deforestation, water contamination, and carbon emissions. Space-manufactured products (e.g., fiber optics, perfect crystals grown in microgravity) can offer superior quality, reducing waste and energy consumption on Earth. Geopolitical and Strategic Benefits Nations leading in space resources gain strategic advantage: control of critical materials, advanced manufacturing capabilities, and leadership in frontier technologies. Cooperative frameworks (e.g., Artemis Accords) foster peaceful use of space, but clear property-rights regimes and resource-sharing agreements are essential to prevent conflict. Scientific Discovery Prospecting missions double as planetary science expeditions: investigating asteroid composition reveals solar system formation, early organic chemistry, and potential precursors for life. Geotechnical studies on the Moon improve our understanding of regolith behavior, informing both civil engineering and planetary defense strategies.

Perspectives

Near Term (Next 5–10 Years) Robotic Prospecting Missions: NASA’s VIPER rover to the Moon (searching for water ice at lunar south pole) and ESA’s Hera mission to binary asteroids will validate resource maps and extraction techniques. Regulatory Foundations: Countries such as the U.S., Luxembourg, and Japan are enacting laws granting domestic companies the right to extract and own space resources, setting precedents for international norms. Medium Term (10–20 Years) Pilot ISRU Demonstrations: Establishment of lunar ice-processing plants to produce oxygen (for life support) and hydrogen (as rocket fuel). Commercial lunar landers will transport payloads fueled by locally derived propellant. Asteroid Mining Ventures: First small-scale operations harvesting metals from near-Earth asteroids; development of rendezvous, anchoring, and microgravity beneficiation technologies. Long Term (20+ Years) Space-Based Manufacturing Hubs: Orbital facilities using raw materials from asteroids or the Moon to build large structures—solar power satellites, deep-space telescopes, even interplanetary spacecraft—bypassing Earth’s gravity well entirely. Economic Maturity and Terraforming Precursors: A fully functional space economy could fund large-scale projects like Mars terraforming research or generation ships for interstellar precursor missions. Challenges and Ethical Considerations Technical Hurdles: Precision in microgravity operations, reliable robotic autonomy, and closed-loop life-support systems remain critical R&D targets. Legal and Ethical Frameworks: Balancing commercial incentives with equitable access; preventing “resource grabs” by powerful actors; ensuring space remains a commons for all humanity. Environmental Stewardship Beyond Earth: Developing “least-impact” extraction protocols to preserve pristine extraterrestrial environments and prevent biological contamination. Visionary Outlook A Multiplanetary Civilization: Space resources are the backbone of human expansion beyond Earth. By securing self-sufficiency off-planet, we safeguard civilization against terrestrial catastrophes. Cultural and Philosophical Shift: As we harvest and live among the stars, our perspective on resource scarcity, environmental responsibility, and global unity on Earth will fundamentally evolve—mirroring, in many ways, the world-uniting potential of the Internet.

Serhii Kharchuk
Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University

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This page is a summary of: Humanitatis rationalis: A New Path Toward a Just and Sustainable Society, SSRN Electronic Journal, January 2025, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.5241312.
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