Every now and again, seemingly separate and unrelated innovations converge and, in doing so, irreversibly change the world in profound ways. Since the first satellite, Sputnik in 1957, data from space has been tightly held by a few powerful governments and used to promote national agendas. Small satellites and reduced launch costs have enabled increased access to space, enabling a new wave of entrepreneurs who are providing unprecedented access to this valuable data, thereby breaking the established grip on power and allowing anyone to meaningfully participate in our space future.
At the forefront of early-stage space investing, Chad Anderson has facilitated millions of dollars of private investment into new commercial space ventures - backing dozens of entrepreneurs who are mining asteroids, launching ordinary people into orbit, and taking humanity back to the moon, Mars, and beyond. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx