Competition in the Outer Space and Ocean Depths

The aim of this chapter is to present in a brief manner the developments in the spheres previously unheard of, unknown or perhaps forgotten—the outer space and ocean depths. Whenever technology allows it, people reach for new frontiers and, as with everything else, what follows is a rather fierce competition between states. As all actions within the realms of outer space and ocean depths are veiled in secrecy—undoubtedly to gain advantage over the competitors—precious little is known and/or made public. Finding solid, reliable data is intentionally made extremely difficult, if not virtually impossible; therefore the material presented is based on scraps of information found or made available, without any certainty whether those bits had been offered accidentally or on purpose. There is no doubt, however, that major and lesser world powers are deeply interested in developing research and knowledge of the outer space and ocean depths to the degree limited only by available technology and financial resources. As it is something quite novel, relatively speaking, the envelope is invariably pushed by the military, as it has always been in the sphere of R&D, innovations and state-of-art equipment. Sky and the bottom of the sea are no longer the limits for human quest.