"The Cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
Carl Sagan
Astrophysicist
Why A Cosmic Challenge?
A Cosmic Challenge is the next level Moonshot which, as we know, are game changers - big, bold, groundbreaking projects that deliver radical solutions to major problems and audacious goals. A Moonshot is something to aim for, a lofty target that ignites action and inspires people to do the extraordinary at every level, and channels energy towards a desired outcome.
A successful Moonshot typically:
articulates an aspirational vision of the future that addresses a huge problem that could impact the lives of millions or even billions of people
proposes a radical solution with a long-term goal that aims for exponential growth and takes small steps in service of the big picture
leverages an eco-system of partners and experts and utilises breakthrough thinking, innovation and technology giving confidence that the solution has a reasonable chance of success, even if it’s obscured over the horizon
attracts investment capital and provides a return on investment along the way.
Moonshot projects abound throughout the world delivering solutions to specific global problems, but they are not enough in terms of the magnitude and urgency of the challenges before us. We need a shared purpose with a vision and a strategy big enough, and loud enough, to capture the attention and imagination of the world; a Cosmic Challenge that goes far beyond the parameters of the moon or mars, powerful enough to impact the global challenges and provide a quantum leap into a better world, and far-reaching enough to positively impact future generations.
A Quantum Leap
for the World
A Cosmic Challenge can be considered a quantum Moonshot. It has all the attributes of a Moonshot except its focus is on a perpetual future - not a one-off goal - continually evolving consciousness and innovation that take us on journeys of discovery to explore infinite worlds of uncharted possibilities.
All the imperatives of preparing and undertaking cosmic journeys and sustaining life in space can be applied to our own world right now, in the same way space agencies are innovating closed-loop systems to undertake deep space exploration and colonise life on the moon, mars and other planets.
To journey en masse, even to get to the moon, would require a long-term vision and strategic plan with milestones and targets to prepare for the voyage and deploy incrementally. The strategy would need to take a whole-person, whole-systems approach to ensure a successful journey and continually upgraded to safeguard long- term survival and ensure that no-one is left behind.
Let’s call this the Moonshot stage. The forward-base and gateway for deep exploration to learn more about ourselves and our planet, and to design innovation and life-supporting systems to sustain life on earth.
Strategic Plan
Key Imperatives
SHARED PURPOSE
The plan would need to reach and engage everyone and reflect that all Voyagers and crew on the journey have a role to play and a purpose that is vital to the success of the mission.
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
A powerful mission-based communication and engagement strategy to unite the world around the vision, galvanise sustained action around the shared purpose, and continually communicate progress to keep motivation high and focussed on the mission goals.
VANGUARD LEADERSHIP
A new class of leaders and innovators, with deep knowledge of integral systems, regenerative design, transformational leadership and teamwork dynamics, and unconstrained by the vested interests of maintaining the status quo, would be needed to design and lead the mission to ensure the right use of technology and innovation, instil widespread confidence in the expedition and protect the safety of the voyagers and crew.
ADVANCE TEAMS
Mission prepared advance teams, trained by vanguard leaders for long-term expeditions, would lead the way, chart the course, communicate discoveries and progress, and set-up way-stations for each voyage of discovery into deep space.
CLOSED-LOOP INNOVATION
An eco-system of partners and mission-specific experts from start-ups to technology entrepreneurs, scientists, systems designers and engineers, across established and emerging industries, would provide the infrastructure of a new stakeholder economy, contracted to design and innovate closed-loop systems, build the platforms, develop the communication strategy and project manage the mission and deployment strategy for each voyage.
TRAINING
To prepare for the challenge, as voyagers on the journey, we would need to participate in behaviour change training to equip ourselves with the skills and psychological mindset to undertake the journey, including: how to work as a team, how to live in a closed-loop environment and travel light with no excess baggage, and train for new jobs in new industries. As we will no doubt meet other species on the journey, training in ‘we come in peace’ diplomatic relations is highly recommended.
DATA INSIGHTS
Throughout each voyage metadata systems collect data to navigate, communicate and operate in deep space environments, including: engineering testing to ensure the functionality of spacecraft and mission systems, measuring atmospheric and environmental conditions and monitoring navigation systems and flight trajectories, measuring the health and well-being of voyagers and crew, collecting scientific data and conducting success evaluations to measure the impact and report on the progress of each mission.
ONGOING SPACE ODYSSEYS
Each space odyssey would have a mission plan with its own milestones, targets and strategies that reflect the findings of previous missions, design and build spaceship and operational systems utilising latest scientific and technological innovation, train mission flight crews and deploy more voyagers.
To achieve the impact needed to sustain the world, we can’t sit this one out and leave it to others to fix. We all have a vested interest in the future and the opportunity to be an integral part of the team innovating solutions and driving sustainable change, here on Earth and in space.
