Near, Far, Wherever We Are: Space Exploration Urgently Needs an Ethics-Informed Planning Revolution

Abstract

Projects concerning space are hugely valuable to our species. Two notable physical districts are (a) the various orbits local to earth and (b) areas that are more remotely located in the interplanetary and interstellar regions. However, the legacy of decades of human space observation, exploitation, and exploration has not always been positive. Environments have been impacted and key groups have been inconvenienced and even their safety threatened due to the ventures of some actors. If such activity continues, the damage caused to our societies, our local space, and even our outer space might become irretrievable. This paper calls for actors to work with their fellow earthlings to identify and address the negative consequences of space endeavours prior to their eventuation. By employing notions of long-view sustainability, we may visualise how our projects affect not only the environment, but also us, and the legacy that we leave for our future generations.