The Ethics of Space Exploration

SpaceX has been in the news again lately, and for good reason.  Its Dragon supply capsule recently docked with the International Space Station, and it successfully landed a rocket on an ocean barge.  It is an exciting time for space exploration enthusiasts.  I wrote a paper a few years ago about why this is so.  I argued that private spaceflight is the new lens through which we ought to view human space travel.  Partnerships between governments and private companies are the new way of doing things because corporations are more efficient.  This has been evident ever since NASA first contracted SpaceX to deliver cargo to the ISS several years ago and spent far less money than it would have on its own.

 

All the talk you have likely heard about humans going to Mars will indeed become reality very soon.  There are many good motivations for the endeavor.  Scientific research carries huge potential; we may possibly discover a use for natural resources from Mars on Earth.  Further, accidental discoveries of various applications of research during the space race was responsible for many of the technological capabilities we experience today.  That will likely continue the more we pursue space exploration, especially with private companies at the helm.  We have only scratched the surface; whereas private companies have been innovating other technologies over the past few decades, private spaceflight is a recent development.  We have only seen the flip phone of space travel; the iPhone of space travel is coming.

 

As our technical capability for space exploration improves, our opportunities expand.  Naturally, this does not just yield exciting potential, but also the potential for ethical questions that we ought to be thinking about now.

 

First, what will space exploration look like on a political level?  Since governments will still likely be involved, will it be another space race, possibly with China, or will it be a more cooperative endeavor?  Both scenarios have historical precedent: while the US engaged in the space race against the Soviet Union, the International Space Station was the result of cooperation among nations.  Second, there are the logistics of the trip itself.  Many speculate that the first wave of Mars colonists will be a one-way trip, much like the pilgrims in the New World.  What kind of people will we choose to go?  Third, who is in charge of the colony, given that multiple nations will likely be involved?  What kinds of laws will be established?  How will that affect our study and use of the planet’s resources?  Fourth, if we find life, what will we do with it?  On a highly speculative note, what if we eventually run into sentient life?  Fifth, what kinds of technology will we allow the colonists to use?  One of the core aspects of this blog has been examining the ethical issues of emerging technologies, some of which might be useful.  2001: A Space Odyssey depicts one example of this.  I think it is a legitimate question: would using artificial intelligence be safe?

Let me know what other questions you think should be addressed and considered.  As with all new technological capabilities, innovated and expanded forms of space exploration are something  both to be cautious and to get excited about, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.