Space Ethics

Description

Throughout history, humans have explored new places, making both good and bad moral decisions along the way. As humanity proceeds to explore space, it is important that we learn from the successes and not repeat the mistakes of the past. This book provides the first comprehensive introduction to ethics as it applies to space exploration and use. It examines real-world case studies that exemplify the ethical challenges we face in exploring beyond Earth: space debris, militarization in space, hazardous asteroids, planetary protection, the search for extraterrestrial life, commercial and private sector activities in space, space settlements, very long duration missions, and planetary-scale interventions. Major themes include human health, environmental concerns, safety and risk, governance and decision-making, and opportunities and challenges of multidisciplinary and international contexts. Ideal for classroom use and beyond, the book provides ways of thinking that will help students, academics and policymakers examine the full range of ethical decisions on questions related to space exploration. Contents 1 Why Space Ethics? 2 Questions of “Should”: Ethics Applied to Space 3 Risk and Safety 4 Space and Human Health 5 The Dangers of Space Debris 6 Military, Dual-Use Activities, and International Relations in Space 7 Protecting Earth from Hazardous Asteroids and Other Extraterrestrial Dangers 8 Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life 9 Contamination, Planetary Protection, and Responsible Exploration 10 The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 11 New Players in Space: New Nations and Commercial, Private, and Nongovernmental Activities 12 Traveling to the Planets and the Stars: Very Long Duration Spaceflight and Human Biology 13 Building Your Martian Home: Living in and Settlement of Space 14 Planetary-Scale Interventions on Earth and Afar 15 Conclusion Acknowledgments Glossary/Keywords Bibliography Credits Index