The space economy won't just generate untold wealth — it will make Earth's environment greener. According to UN data, life expectancy at birth in 27 countries now exceeds 81 years — which means babies born in 2019 are more likely than not to be alive in 2100.

What will life be like at the other end of these kids' lives? The latest science, science fiction, and Silicon Valley all offer glimpses. But ultimately, it is our present-day hopes and fears that shape what the future will become. The Letter below is addressed to the next century:

Dear 22nd Century,

All of a sudden, out of the dreams of geeks and the potential of technology, an entire new economy explodes into being.

There are new networks full of new kinds of behavior to be cultivated or exploited. The rising tide of money lifts many startups upwards; some sink. The world is awash in a sense of abundance and fear — this could save us, this could destroy us. Some argue this new economy is saving the planet from the carbon economy. And at the apex of the revolution, a small number of foresighted people with famous names acquire wealth greater and faster than any tycoon in human history.

This is the story of the internet economy in the early 21st century. (Arguably, it’s the story of every great market leap since the railroads). It is also, I confidently predict, the story of the space resources economy in the early 22nd.