Impacts of Terrestrial and Astronautical Sociology on the Evolution of Spaceflight by Spacefaring Civilizations

It is suggested that flaws in terrestrial sociology (the negative social dynamics of individual and corporate human natures on Earth) is, to some degree, delaying achievement of the science and technology needed to revolutionize spaceflight and meet this planet’s future energy and transportation. Here, scientific timidity, self interest and resistance to change is delaying the replacement of current propellant‐consuming and carbon‐emitting power and propulsion by nearly propellant‐less, emission‐free power and propulsion for terrestrial energy and transportation and cost‐effective space exploration to the further reaches of the cosmos. Propellant‐less and emission‐less power and propulsion systems would generate energy and force by the actions of fields—not the combustion of matter. So, when favorable developments in terrestrial sociology and technology enable field power and propulsion, long, ambitious space expeditions can begin if “astrosociology”‐stable, harmonious social dynamics between many cooperating people in space—can also be achieved.