Up to now, the public has been interested in human ventures in space mainly because of the emotion they convey. This feeling is similar to the one you have while watching a launch. It does not matter what is being launched; as long as the miracle of the takeoff happens, the shiver of excitement is there.

It is fortunate that space activities naturally provide such inspiration to people. However, we have to be wise enough not to rely exclusively on the "go for spectacular" style of previous space missions. We must ensure that this does not become the reason for public disinterest; that this does not cause, in the end, the ruin of human space flight. This is exemplified by the recent history of human space flight. The fact that nobody has set foot on the Moon for almost three decades should help to make us aware of the malaise.

We are at a dead end in our "let's conquer space" approach. We need public support to go on, and for that, we have to provide the community with a new vision beyond the mere "flags and footprints" picture. The title of this report itself, "Out of the Cradle," suggests an alternative idea for human space exploration: Tsiolkovsky's attitude that space is "a part of humanity's natural home" rather than a place to be conquered (Maryniak and Boudreault, 1996).

We have to shift public interest in space from immediate and short-lived feelings to concern for future generations. To achieve this goal, we must educate the community, which includes the decision-makers, their advisors, the attentive public and also the general public. This is the only way to create the strong civil society we need to found a human space exploration initiative based on equity and fairness.

The intention is not to deny natural feelings of awe for space exploration, but rather to progress beyond these first reactions. We think that the global community is finally ready to assume its sense of responsibility towards its children. For instance, polls have shown that the public wants governments to start doing more to protect the environment (Roodman, 1999). This example indicates that the public today expects much more than "now-ist" decisions. They expect "futurist" decisions.

This current trend of public opinion encourages us to "sell" our new concept of humans in space. The community seems ready to broaden its sphere of interest, to rethink the way things progress, instead of being obsessed with the present. Our challenge is to mobilize public support by entertaining people or interesting them in investment and business opportunities related to human space flight. It is also important to promote relevant socio-cultural and philosophical debates about space exploration within the community. It is a long-term challenge, but it is necessary to revive human interest in space after the "Apollo hangover."

Some problems of our planet, such as global warming, limited resources and global economic imbalance, have been known for decades. Unfortunately, we are still unable to cope with them. In addition to Earth-based efforts, which shall continue, we need a new perspective. Being outside of our natural environment helps us to consider Earth both as a global system and a part of the cosmos. This enhances our creativity in finding new solutions for Earth-related problems. Human exploration will serve as a catalyst, perhaps in a similar manner that the great voyages of the Old World inspired the scientific revolution.

Do we want space to be exploited by just a few businessmen? No, we want to shape a future that evolves towards wisdom and enlightenment, and space activities will help this happen. We must lead our civilization into the age of deliberate space exploration.

We want people to think, feel and dream about the destiny of humans in space. We want them to be actively involved in the process of exploring outer space. We are seeking a global society where people can really participate, and this is made possible by the information age. Let's make judicious use of the media and technological means of our "Global Village" to stimulate and inspire community space awareness.

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