Space Exploration and the Space Exploration and the HumanistHumanist

Mark A. BullockMark A. BullockSouthwest Research InstituteSouthwest Research Institute

Robert L. FrodemanRobert L. FrodemanUniversity of North TexasUniversity of North Texas

Data and Beauty

Center for Space Exploration Policy Center for Space Exploration Policy Research Research ---- ProjectsProjects

The Risks of Space ExplorationThe Risks of Space ExplorationAsteroid and Comet Impact MitigationAsteroid and Comet Impact MitigationPlanetary ProtectionPlanetary ProtectionThe Space MarketThe Space MarketThe Political Philosophy of SpaceThe Political Philosophy of SpacePublic Perceptions of SpacePublic Perceptions of SpaceEthics and Values in Space ExplorationEthics and Values in Space Exploration

The Risks of Space ExplorationThe Risks of Space Exploration

Space Exploration is dangerous. People Space Exploration is dangerous. People will die going to the Moon, Mars and will die going to the Moon, Mars and beyond, and in private flights to space.beyond, and in private flights to space.In all major civil, military, and private In all major civil, military, and private projects, failures occur and people die.projects, failures occur and people die.How are we to think about the risk of How are we to think about the risk of death in human space flight, and how death in human space flight, and how do we deal with disasters without do we deal with disasters without bringing space exploration to a halt?bringing space exploration to a halt?

Asteroid and Comet Impact MitigationAsteroid and Comet Impact Mitigation

Public attitudes about protecting Earth from Public attitudes about protecting Earth from asteroid impacts range from incredulity to asteroid impacts range from incredulity to fear.fear.Assessments of the publicAssessments of the public’’s trust in the s trust in the scientific community indicate uneasiness with scientific community indicate uneasiness with its arrogance and suspicions about scientific its arrogance and suspicions about scientific motivation.motivation.A dialogue between scientists, policymakers, A dialogue between scientists, policymakers, ethicists and students is necessary to develop ethicists and students is necessary to develop acceptable, understandable approaches to acceptable, understandable approaches to mitigating the risk of comet and asteroid mitigating the risk of comet and asteroid impacts.impacts.

Planetary ProtectionPlanetary Protection

Present Planetary Protection policies are Present Planetary Protection policies are oriented toward protecting science, not oriented toward protecting science, not potential biospheres of other worlds.potential biospheres of other worlds.Deeply held beliefs about the sanctity of Deeply held beliefs about the sanctity of life may generate opposition to in situ life may generate opposition to in situ exploration of the planets.exploration of the planets.How do we communicate about the How do we communicate about the possibility of infecting the Earth with an possibility of infecting the Earth with an ‘‘Andromeda StrainAndromeda Strain’’??

The Space MarketThe Space Market

What is the future of NASA funding? In What is the future of NASA funding? In particular, how robust are space particular, how robust are space exploration initiatives, and what drives exploration initiatives, and what drives them? What roles do national pride, them? What roles do national pride, public curiosity and wonder, and public curiosity and wonder, and economic and political forces, play in economic and political forces, play in the continuity of the public space the continuity of the public space exploration enterprise? exploration enterprise?

The Political Philosophy of SpaceThe Political Philosophy of Space

What should be the property rights of What should be the property rights of individuals and nations in space? What individuals and nations in space? What is the proper public role of space is the proper public role of space exploration, and what aspects are best exploration, and what aspects are best left to the private sector? What types of left to the private sector? What types of governance of space are possible? How governance of space are possible? How might space exploration help or hinder might space exploration help or hinder political processes on Earth? political processes on Earth?

Public Perceptions of SpacePublic Perceptions of Space

Public perceptions of space, space Public perceptions of space, space exploration, and human spaceflight are exploration, and human spaceflight are shaped by the media, film, and science shaped by the media, film, and science fiction. Artists and writers can show us fiction. Artists and writers can show us imagined futures, within which values, imagined futures, within which values, ethics and outcomes are investigated. ethics and outcomes are investigated. What are the links between public What are the links between public support for space exploration, support for space exploration, education, and the political processes education, and the political processes that enable space missions and science? that enable space missions and science?

Ethics and Values in Space Ethics and Values in Space ExplorationExploration

The implications of a particular The implications of a particular technology, or of a course of action technology, or of a course of action such as exploring the frontier of space, such as exploring the frontier of space, are written not just in the science, but are written not just in the science, but in the changes they make to the lives of in the changes they make to the lives of human beings. How can philosophers, human beings. How can philosophers, writers, and policymakers work with writers, and policymakers work with scientists to understand the implications scientists to understand the implications of a spaceof a space--faring civilization? faring civilization?