Most are familiar with the phrase “The Art of the Possible” which is attributed to the great German statesman Otto Von Bismarck who in an 1867 speech, said, "Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable — the art of the next best."
The phrase remains a powerful reminder that success lies not in idealism or dreams of what could be, but in the effective realization of what can be done. Outer Space has long been a catalyst for the creative among us – those that dared to dream of what could be. Science Fiction TV shows like Star Trek and movies like Star Wars, and so many that followed, introduced the unimaginable, adding phrases to the English lexicon like “Beam me up, Scotty” and “Warp Speed.”
Space has always been a place of mystery, intrigue and fodder for our imaginations. But today, it has become so much more than that. It’s no longer reflective of the art of the possible. A new Space era is upon us – one that is on the verge of forever changing our planet in ways once categorized as science fiction.
Manufacturing in space is the beginning of the next revolution. It introduces the ability to harness the effects of microgravity, where items created have far superior functional qualities than those produced on earth. We are not talking science fiction and the art of the possible. Sixty years of in-space experimentation tells the story, and foretells massive, positive change in nearly every critical industry. Welcome to the age that goes well beyond the art of the possible. Welcome to…
The Art of the Achievable
In-Space microgravity R&D will change life as we know it in myriad ways that have already been validated, and in new ways that we can’t yet fully grasp.
Envision a world where in-space creation of lightweight, stronger metals drives the transition to much lighter terrestrial vehicles and aircraft that dramatically reduce global energy consumption. Imagine an agricultural revolution stemming from space-created bio-agriculture vegetation that requires little water to thrive and can be strategically planted in land or sea, reviving our oceans and rapidly growing the world’s greenery – even in desert regions. Picture cures for cancer, human tissue grown in space to create stronger body parts for human transplant, new age pharmaceuticals developed in months, not years, all thanks to the power of microgravity.
One company that is well past the R&D stage and has already manufactured product in space is Flawless Photonics, unlocking the potential inherent in ZBLAN Fiber. ZBLAN unique properties – a wider transmission window and lower optical loss – enable light to travel further and faster, outperforming traditional silica-based fibers.
To quote John Osborne, Flawless Photonics CEO, ”Many leading optical companies have tried to fulfill ZBLAN's superior performance against Silica but failed. What they did not have was SPACE, the only place where gravity-induced defects can be eliminated in ZBLAN. Working in microgravity, the team at Flawless have unlocked the path to fulfill the full potential of ZBLAN and revolutionize the optical glass industry.”
Flawless Photonics’ commercialization of its SpaceFiber™ will afford numerous industries, like telecom, huge financial and operational cost savings, while delivering superior performance. ZBLAN fiber has significantly lower signal attenuation than traditional silica-based fibers — potentially by a factor of 10–100× for certain wavelengths. For a telco, this translates into
- Fewer repeaters/amplifiers on subsea and terrestrial long-haul fiber links.
- Lower latency and higher signal integrity over very long distances.
- Reduced power consumption and maintenance overhead.
A single transatlantic cable might need half as many amplifiers — lowering both capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX).
A 2024 NASA estimate suggested space-made ZBLAN fiber could reduce global telecom power draw by ~1% — potentially worth billions in savings annually while positively impacting the environment.
In the coming weeks, I’ll explore numerous industries and the positive impact that in-space R&D and Manufacturing will have on earth, as they embrace the Art of the Achievable.