--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If NASA were advancing a space frontier…" description: "\"If NASA were advancing a space frontier there would be challenges you've never seen before. You have to be creative and you have to patent some new ide..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_advancing_if-nasa-were-advancing-a-space-frontier_1439555.png" --- # If NASA were advancing a space frontier there would be… ![“If NASA were advancing a space frontier there would be challenges you've never seen before. You have to be creative and you have to patent some new idea. You get to Mars...well, how do we get the water from the soil? I gotta invent a new device that will do that. And the carbon dioxide in the…” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_advancing_if-nasa-were-advancing-a-space-frontier_1439555.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_advancing_if-nasa-were-advancing-a-space-frontier_1439555.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_advancing_if-nasa-were-advancing-a-space-frontier_1439555.png) > “If NASA were advancing a space frontier there would be challenges you've never seen before. You have to be creative and you have to patent some new idea. You get to Mars...well, how do we get the water from the soil? I gotta invent a new device that will do that. And the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, how can we use that? Can we breathe the oxygen from the carbon dioxide?” [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Exploring new frontiers demands innovative solutions to unprecedented problems, like extracting resources on Mars. **In simple terms:** New challenges need creative, patented solutions. Key Takeaway Innovate to solve unknown problems. Themes innovation exploration resourcefulness Mood optimistic curious Type inspirational technical When to use this quote - Mars missions - resource extraction - life support systems - environmental engineering Key Concepts space colonization engineering sustainability Questions to Reflect On - How can we accelerate technology development for space? - What resources are most critical for colonization? A Different Perspective Technology may lag behind imagination, causing delays. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carbon dioxide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon-dioxide/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Frontiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frontiers/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mars/) [NASA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nasa/) [New ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-ideas/) [Oxygen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oxygen/) [Patents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patents/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that the manned space program can engage the public by advancing the space frontier. Every next mission takes you farther out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-believe-that-the-manned-space-program-can-engage-the-public-by/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I fundamentally believed in the NASA mission of advancing our space frontier, all the while developing innovations and new technologies that would benefit all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/i-fundamentally-believed-in-the-nasa-mission-of-advancing-our-space/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [Private enterprise can never lead a space frontier. It's not possible because a space frontier is expensive, it has unknown risks and it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/private-enterprise-can-never-lead-a-space-frontier-it-s-not-possible/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I don't want to go back into space for military reasons, but the economic driver still remains. And so it's a matter of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-go-back-into-space-for-military-reasons-but-the/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [If you're going to lead a space frontier, it has to be government; it'll never be private enterprise. Because the space frontier is dangerous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/if-you-re-going-to-lead-a-space-frontier-it-has-to-be-government-it/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The only frontier now left to exploit is not a frontier in space but a frontier in time. We steal the future from our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-only-frontier-now-left-to-exploit-is-not-a-frontier-in-space-but/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [It's time to open the space frontier to citizen explorers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/it-s-time-to-open-the-space-frontier-to-citizen-explorers/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [During the next 50 years, in countless cycles, in countless entrepreneurial companies, this let's just go and do it mentality will help us finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/during-the-next-50-years-in-countless-cycles-in-countless/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [When you're advancing a frontier it stimulates creativity to find solutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/when-you-re-advancing-a-frontier-it-stimulates-creativity-to-find/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [When an industry matures, it means it's not advancing, and of course the jobs go overseas. 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I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) ## More by Neil deGrasse Tyson > [I don't want to go into space because of war. I think we would if it was triggered. If China said they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-go-into-space-because-of-war-i-think-we-would-if-it/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. 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In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-caricature-of-science-is-that-we-hold-tight-to-the-theories-we/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I've said multiple times that the world's first trillionaire is going to be the person who exploits the resources of asteroids, the natural resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-ve-said-multiple-times-that-the-world-s-first-trillionaire-is-going/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [ They \[scientists of centuries past\] call on God only from the lonely and precarious edge of incomprehension. Where they feel certain about their explanations,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/they-scientists-of-centuries-past-call-on-god-only-from-the-lonely/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [We explore our environment, more than we are compelled to utter poetry, when we're toddlers. We start doing that later. Before that happens, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/we-explore-our-environment-more-than-we-are-compelled-to-utter-poetry/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Science surrounds you. 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Every next mission takes you farther out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-believe-that-the-manned-space-program-can-engage-the-public-by/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Five qualities there are wine's praise advancing; Strong, beautiful, fragrant, cool and dancing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harington/five-qualities-there-are-wine-s-praise-advancing-strong-beautiful/) [John Harington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harington/) > [Ladies: Anne Hathaway is a feminist and she has amazing teeth. Let's save our bad attitudes for the ones who aren't advancing the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/ladies-anne-hathaway-is-a-feminist-and-she-has-amazing-teeth-let-s/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [Increasingly constructive doubt is the sign of advancing civilization. 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