---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whether or not people go into space or…"
description: "\"Whether or not people go into space or serve the space industry, they will have the sensitivity to those fields necessary to stimulate unending innovat..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b33/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_21st-century_whether-or-not-people-go-into-space-or-s_256176.png"
---

#  Whether or not people go into space or serve the space…

![“Whether or not people go into space or serve the space industry, they will have the sensitivity to those fields necessary to stimulate unending innovation in the technological fields, and it's that innovation in the 21st century that will drive tomorrow's economies.” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b33/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_21st-century_whether-or-not-people-go-into-space-or-s_256176.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b33/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_21st-century_whether-or-not-people-go-into-space-or-s_256176.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b33/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_21st-century_whether-or-not-people-go-into-space-or-s_256176.png)

> “Whether or not people go into space or serve the space industry, they will have the sensitivity to those fields necessary to stimulate unending innovation in the technological fields, and it's that innovation in the 21st century that will drive tomorrow's economies.”

[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.

Space exploration fuels technological breakthroughs that drive future economies and societal progress.

**In simple terms:** Space work leads to new tech and economic growth.

Key Takeaway

Invest in space research for long‑term prosperity.

Themes

science economics future innovation

Mood

inspirational optimistic

Type

strategic visionary

When to use this quote

- government funding
- private sector partnerships
- educational curricula
- policy making

Key Concepts

technology transfer STEM education

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we sustain long‑term space investment?
- What industries benefit most from space tech?

A Different Perspective

Funding cycles can be short‑sighted, limiting impact.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[21st century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/21st-century/) [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Drive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drive/) [Economies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economies/) [Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fields/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Innovation 21St](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation-21st-2535698/) [Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessary/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sensitivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitivity/) [Serve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serve/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Space Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-industry-690788/) [Stimulate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stimulate/) [Technological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technological/) [Technological Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technological-fields-2535699/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Those](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/those/) [Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow/) [Tomorrow Economies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow-economies-2535697/) [Unending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unending/) [Whether](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whether/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/)

## Related quotes

> [Without new economies, our old economies get our jobs taken from them because everyone else has figured out how to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/without-new-economies-our-old-economies-get-our-jobs-taken-from-them/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [You innovate in ways that stoke your economy. Because innovations in science and technology are the engines of 21st century economies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-innovate-in-ways-that-stoke-your-economy-because-innovations-in/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [We have played a critical role in meeting the new safety standards. The Canadian space industry contributed new tools that make the inspection of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-garneau/we-have-played-a-critical-role-in-meeting-the-new-safety-standards/)

[Marc Garneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-garneau/)

> [More women should actively participate in space flight. There are many well educated women working in the space industry; they are very good candidates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentina-tereshkova/more-women-should-actively-participate-in-space-flight-there-are-many/)

[Valentina Tereshkova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentina-tereshkova/)

> [The space industry is developing and delivering benefits that tie into our immediate needs and priorities here on Earth-for example, medical and materials research,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-garneau/the-space-industry-is-developing-and-delivering-benefits-that-tie/)

[Marc Garneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-garneau/)

> [When I got to college, I discovered how many incredible opportunities NASA offered students pursuing a career in the space industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-calandrelli/when-i-got-to-college-i-discovered-how-many-incredible-opportunities/)

[Emily Calandrelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-calandrelli/)

> [Commercial crew transportation has the potential to revolutionize the space industry for public and private sector entities alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bigelow/commercial-crew-transportation-has-the-potential-to-revolutionize-the/)

[Robert Bigelow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bigelow/)

> [Every time you check the weather, search for a spot to grab your morning coffee or send a text message, you're getting hands-on with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/every-time-you-check-the-weather-search-for-a-spot-to-grab-your/)

[Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/)

> [Philosophically, most commercial launchers won't want the space industry to be tied to the government. It'll be like having a national airline. Prices will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bigelow/philosophically-most-commercial-launchers-won-t-want-the-space/)

[Robert Bigelow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bigelow/)

> [Everyone's in the space industry. They just don't know it yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-taylor/everyone-s-in-the-space-industry-they-just-don-t-know-it-yet/)

[Dylan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-taylor/)

> [What I tell business leaders is you're in the space industry - you just don't know it yet. Every industry will be impacted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-taylor/what-i-tell-business-leaders-is-you-re-in-the-space-industry-you-just/)

[Dylan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-taylor/)

> [“I always wanted to work for the USA Space industry as a kid and never thought I would. What a surprise!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-always-wanted-to-work-for-the-usa-space-industry-as-a-kid-and-never/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [“We live in an incredible age. People like Laney get it, so do some of the general public. But I think they're still in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mayne/we-live-in-an-incredible-age-people-like-laney-get-it-so-do-some-of/)

[Andrew Mayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mayne/)

> [Given the role that the space industry plays in our state, it was important for me to speak with former Senator Bill Nelson and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-tuberville/given-the-role-that-the-space-industry-plays-in-our-state-it-was/)

[Tommy Tuberville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-tuberville/)

> [The commercial space industry owes a huge debt to Patti Grace Smith. There might not be a commercial spaceflight industry were it not for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pittman/the-commercial-space-industry-owes-a-huge-debt-to-patti-grace-smith/)

[Bruce Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pittman/)

## 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. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [The Pacific is the best toilet for satellites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-pacific-is-the-best-toilet-for-satellites/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [... informed ignorance provides the natural state of mind for research scientists at the ever-shifting frontiers of knowledge. People who believe themselves ignorant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/informed-ignorance-provides-the-natural-state-of-mind-for-research/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [If you seek only easy problems to solve, then ultimately, there'll be nothing about you to distinguish yourself from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/if-you-seek-only-easy-problems-to-solve-then-ultimately-there-ll-be/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [The caricature of science is that we hold tight to the theories we have, and shun challenges to them. That's just not true. 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. It's not something that you can step aside, step over or push out of your way because you were never good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/science-surrounds-you-it-s-not-something-that-you-can-step-aside-step/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [The idea that God resides in the unknown is what philosophers call the God of the gaps. And we have this thing called science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-idea-that-god-resides-in-the-unknown-is-what-philosophers-call/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Everybody's got money for vacation time. Look at how much we all spend just to get - well, I get sick on the loop-the-loop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/everybody-s-got-money-for-vacation-time-look-at-how-much-we-all-spend/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

[Explore all 1,143 Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

## More 21st century quotes

> [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [“You know it’s the 21st Century when someone TEXTS you from the washroom to ask you to bring them a roll of toilet paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/comic-strip-mama/you-know-it-s-the-21st-century-when-someone-texts-you-from-the/)

[Comic Strip Mama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/comic-strip-mama/)

> [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/)

[Bella James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-james/)

> [Like many others, I have deep misgivings about the state of education in the United States. Too many of our students fail to graduate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/like-many-others-i-have-deep-misgivings-about-the-state-of-education/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/)

[William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/)

> [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [Maybe we need a tax credit for the poorest Americans to buy a laptop. Now, maybe that's wrong, maybe that's expensive, maybe we can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/maybe-we-need-a-tax-credit-for-the-poorest-americans-to-buy-a-laptop/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [The 20th century has been marked by cynicism, selfishness, greed, and the desire to please, all without changing the status quo. In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/)

[Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/)

> [I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/i-firmly-believe-that-the-mission-of-religion-in-the-21st-century/)

[Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/)

> [Facebook, Twitter...Welcome to The 21st Century...Where Someone can stalk you without leaving the couch!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/facebook-twitter-welcome-to-the-21st-century-where-someone-can-stalk/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Human Race is all over universe! And I am the first person to inform you. I am the most influential person of this decade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwani-kumar-ojha/human-race-is-all-over-universe-and-i-am-the-first-person-to-inform/)

[Ashwani Kumar Ojha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwani-kumar-ojha/)

> [Like the railroads that brought us together in the 19th century, these trails will bring us together in the 20th and 21st centuries. (at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/like-the-railroads-that-brought-us-together-in-the-19th-century-these/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [What I love about making albums in the 21st century is that so few people buy albums! I can make an album without any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/what-i-love-about-making-albums-in-the-21st-century-is-that-so-few/)

[Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/)

> [As a former Apollo astronaut, I think it's safe to say that SpaceX and the other commercial developers embody the 21st century version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/as-a-former-apollo-astronaut-i-think-it-s-safe-to-say-that-spacex-and/)

[Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/)

> [The computer provides the only way to give students a real foundation in 21st-century skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-negroponte/the-computer-provides-the-only-way-to-give-students-a-real-foundation/)

[Nicholas Negroponte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-negroponte/)

[Browse all 771 21st century quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/21st-century/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Whether or not people go into space or serve the space industry, they will have the sensitivity to those fields necessary to stimulate unending innovation in the technological fields, and it's that innovation in the 21st century that will drive tomorrow's economies.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neil deGrasse Tyson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/whether-or-not-people-go-into-space-or-serve-the-space-industry-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "21st century"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/whether-or-not-people-go-into-space-or-serve-the-space-industry-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b33/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_21st-century_whether-or-not-people-go-into-space-or-s_256176.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b33/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_21st-century_whether-or-not-people-go-into-space-or-s_256176.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b33/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_21st-century_whether-or-not-people-go-into-space-or-s_256176.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Whether or not people go into space or serve the space industry, they will have the sensitivity to those…” — Neil deGrasse Tyson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Neil deGrasse Tyson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Whether or not people go into...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/whether-or-not-people-go-into-space-or-serve-the-space-industry-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/whether-or-not-people-go-into-space-or-serve-the-space-industry-they/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
