(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) Book of Mars: $22.99 at Magazines Direct. A space colony can be the answer to philosophical challenges and economic expectations facing us here on Earth. At the same time, it can also serve as a laboratory in space - a purely scientific enterprise, existing with the help of a regular supply of necessary resources from Earth. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? The average temperature on Mars is -81 degrees Fahrenheit (-63 degrees Celsius), with temperatures dropping as low as -195 degrees F (-126 degrees C). [28], Meanwhile, lunar dust is made of shards of silica and cuts like glass. [16] [17], On Apr. We should colonize other habitable planets due to. 10, 2017, NASA Mars Exploration Program, Mars Terraforming Not Possible Using Present-Day Technology, mars.nasa.gov, July 30, 2018, April Glaser, Elon Musk Will Need One Million Mars Colonists to Get the Ticket Price down to $200,000, vox.com, Sep. 27, 2016, Dave Mosher, "NASA Says It Needs a $1.6 Billion 'Down Payment' from Congress to Send Astronauts Back to the Moon within 5 years," businessinsider.com, May 14, 2019, Sarah Fecht, Stephen Hawking Says We Have 100 Years to Colonize a New Planet-- Or Die. Others have also written about space colonies, such as Lasswitz in 1897, and Bernal, Oberth, Von Pirquet, and Noordung in the 1920s. The International Space Station has been continuously occupied by groups of six astronauts since Nov. 2000, for a total of 243 astronauts from 19 countries as of May 13, 2021. In my view, as long as we bring the [idea] of human exceptionalism with us to other worlds, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes we have made here. [23], As novelist Andy Weir explained, The problem is that you still dont want to send humans to the moon. The relationship between organisms, their habitat and the non-Earth environment can be: A combination of the above technologies is also possible. To justify the colonization of space, supporters have given a variety of reasons, including survival of the human species (in case of nuclear warfare or other planetary catastrophe), protection of Earth's environment, access to additional natural resources, and the spreading of life in the universe. If a workable solution were found and implemented, a project of that magnitude would cost billions, perhaps trillions. The Artemis Project designed a plan to colonize Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. In a 2018 poll, 50% of Americans believed space tourism will be routine for ordinary people by 2068. Foresight Nanotechnology InstituteThe space challenge. It appears to be some interpretation of Christian dominion, or dominionist, theology that drives colonization advocates to declare that humans are destined to fill the universe, that humans "must" colonize Mars, that outer space resources are there for the taking.The ideology of space exploration is in need of rejuvenation. Their answers included the following points:[7], Louis J. Halle, formerly of the United States Department of State, wrote in Foreign Affairs (Summer 1980) that the colonization of space will protect humanity in the event of global nuclear warfare.[8]. Remote research stations in inhospitable climates, such as the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station or Devon Island Mars Arctic Research Station, can also provide some practice for off-world outpost construction and operation. Project Orion: A concept proposed by Freeman Dyson that could use nuclear bombs to propel a starship. Other technologiessuch as tether propulsion, Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket (VASIMR), ion drives, solar thermal rockets, solar sails, and nuclear thermal propulsioncan all potentially help solve the problems of high transport costs once in space. Due to its proximity and relative familiarity, Earth's Moon is frequently discussed as a target for colonization. Communications to Mars suffer from significant delays due to the speed of light and the greatly varying distance between conjunction and oppositionthe lag would range between 7 and 44 minutesmaking real-time communication impractical. . While humans have long thought of gods living in the sky, the idea of space travel or humans living in space dates to at least 1610 after the invention of the telescope when German astronomer Johannes Kepler wrote to Italian astronomer Galileo: Let us create vessels and sails adjusted to the heavenly ether, and there will be plenty of people unafraid of the empty wastes. Space fantasies flourished after Jules Vernes From Earth to the Moon was published in 1865, and again when RKO Pictures released a film adaptation, A Trip to the Moon, in 1902. 23, 2021, NASA, July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap for Mankind, nasa.gov, July 20, 2019, NASA, 60 Moments in NASA History, nasa.gov (accessed July 26, 2021), NASA, The Birth of NASA, nasa.gov, Mar. Can Alternative Energy Effectively Replace Fossil Fuels? The thin atmosphere also means that heat cannot be retained at the surface. In a lecture Tuesday in Los Angles, the 71-year . We're in the infancy of it I'm talking about that one day, I don't know when that day is, but there will be more human beings who live off the Earth than on it. 500 Robert Zubrin constantly beats the drum for exploring Mars first. NSS Mission: "to promote social, economic, technological, and political change in order to expand civilization beyond Earth, to settle space and to use the resulting resources to build a hopeful and prosperous future for humanity." NSS Rationale - Why Our Mission is Important: Survival, Growth, Prosperity, and Curiosity RSS. Such a space habitat could be isolated from the rest of humanity for a century, but near enough to Earth for help. Colonizing Mars could speed up human evolution Colonizing Mars could speed up human evolution High radiation, low gravity and other environmental pressures could spur martian humans to mutate. This understanding is incredibly important in moving towards a nation that holds a strong and respectful relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon.com who traveled to space in 2021, asserted that exploring space would result in expanded human genius: The solar system can easily support a trillion humans. Space colonization would allow humans to spread among many planets and moons. Musk argues that in order for humans to survive, it's necessary for the species to become "spacefaring" and "multiplanetary." But colonizing is no innocent practice: Humans have been reckoning with. Space colonization is tremendously important for the future of humankind in two ways. After the Apollo moon landings, some scientists and NASA officials envisioned. There is a strong scientific interest in colonizing Mars due to the possibility that life might have existed on Mars at some point in its history, and may even still exist (in the form of microbes) in some parts of the planet. Additionally, space colonization inevitably means more spacecraft and communication arrays in space, meaning that there are more possible collisions and more crafts to possibly damage. Numerous challenges will be faced. The movies have visualized trips to those worlds in many different ways. 8, 2020, Mark Memmott, Last Space Shuttle Lands, Ending 30-Year Era, npr.org, July 21, 2011, Laurel Wamsley, Bezos vs. Branson: The Billionaire Space Race Lifts Off, npr.org, July 11, 2021, NASA, NASAs SpaceX Crew-2 Astronauts Headed to International Space Station, nasa.gov, Apr. Although the surface of Venus is far too hot and features atmospheric pressure at least 90 times that at sea level on Earth, its massive atmosphere offers a possible alternate location for colonization. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. Therefore, humans would not be confined to the Earth. Following from that premise, Brian Patrick Green, Director of Technology Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, concluded, Because space settlement gives humankind the opportunity to significantly raise the chances of survival for our species, it is therefore a moral imperative to settle space as quickly as possible. [21], Some theorists, including Gonzalo Munevar, PhD, interdisciplinary Professor Emeritus at Lawrence Technological University, believe colonizing space will increase clean energy on Earth, provide access to the solar systems resources, and increase knowledge of space and Earth. If so, how? a famous hoax from history . Transportation using off-Earth resources for propellant in relatively conventional rockets would be expected to massively reduce in-space transportation costs compared to the present day. Space colonization is a controversial topic for some people, though definitely not for me, and for a number of reasons. Become a member. Mars may have gone through similar geological and hydrological processes as Earth and may contain valuable mineral ores, but this is debated. But eventually, we should be able to construct space colonies [structures in free space rather than on a planet or moon], which could house millions. Opponents say AI poses dangerous privacy risks. After the Russians put the first person, Yuri Gagarin, in space on Apr. The greatest obstacle for the Space Movement has been credibility. Equipment is available to extract in situ resources (water, air, and so forth) from the Martian ground and atmosphere. The International Space Station alone has generated scores of medical innovations with uses on Earth, such as a method for delivering cancer-fighting medication directly to tumors; gadgetry that a nurse can hold to perform ultrasounds and transmit the results to a doctor thousands of miles away; and a robotic arm that can perform delicate surgery Moreover, in practice, international collaboration in space has shown its value as a unifying and cooperative endeavor. Some anti-space arguments have gone so far as to suggest that space colonization is a remnant of historical colonization, and the desire to conquer territory. If we have linear improvement in technology, as opposed to logarithmic, then we should have a significant base on Mars, perhaps with thousands or tens of thousands of people. [1], While Earth is experiencing devastating climate change effects that should be addressed, Earth will be habitable for at least 150 million years, if not over a billion years, based on current predictive models. It also assumes that space colonization is not itself a valuable goal. Remain a Global Leader in Space, pewresearch.org, June 6, 2018, Brian Patrick Green, Self-Preservation Should Be Humankinds First Ethical Priority and Therefore Rapid Space Settlement Is Necessary, sciencedirect.com, June 2019, Gonzalo Munevar, An Obligation to Colonize Outer Space, sciencedirect.com, June 2019, Kelly C. Smith and Keith Abney, The Great Colonization Debate, researchgate.net, Apr. This article was published on January 21, 2022, at Britannicas ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the other side of the issue now helps you better argue your position. Even colonization advocates would be happy with colonization of the Moon, the asteroids, and many other destinations. There isn't anywhere like the Earth in the solar system, so we would have to go to another star. In the meantime, we shall prepare, for the brave sky-travellers, maps of the celestial bodies.. The Space Movement began in 1975. Colonization of asteroids would require space habitats. 50 Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard Over the next six decades, NASA would launch space stations, land rovers on Mars, fly past Pluto, and orbit Jupiter, among other accomplishments. But so far poor mankind has only managed to send a few representatives to the moon, our nearest . In 2014 Elon Musk stated, Its obvious that space is deeply ingrained in the American psyche SpaceX is only 12 years old now. The most common ideas for space colonization include: settling Earths Moon, building on Mars, and constructing free-floating space stations. There are also proposed projects such as building a space elevator or a mass driver. The National Space Society is an organization with the vision of "people living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth. Above Earth's natural protection, radiation exposure increases cancer risk, damages the central nervous system, can alter cognitive function, reduce motor function and prompt behavioral changes. And the majority (63%) stated NASAs top priority should be monitoring Earths climate, while only 18% said sending astronauts to Mars should be the highest priority and only 13% would prioritize sending astronauts to the Moon. The dust clung to the space suits of Apollo astronauts, scratching their visors and getting in their eyes and throats, which could result in bronchitis or cancer. Space colonization is important because humanity cannot stay on Earth forever if we are to survive as a species. The five Earth-Sun Lagrange points would totally eliminate eclipses, but only L1 and L2 would be reachable in a few days' time. Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking both suggested the need for a "hedge" population of humans on Mars to allow human civilization to reboot itself in the event of a catastrophe on Earth - an. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Inherent in exploration of all types is the opportunities that it opens up to the people doing the exploring. Harvard Univ., $29.95 By 20th century expectations, we are way behind schedule on colonizing the solar system. Explore and monitor how Space is affecting economies, industries and global issues. SPACE colonization means much more than Antarctic-style research habitats on the moon or other planets for an elite group of astronauts. 8, 2022, a SpaceX capsule launched, carrying three paying customers and a former NASA astronaut on a roundtrip to the International Space Station (ISS). SEE plans to host film and sports events, as well as content creation by Dec. 2024. [32], Further, as Linda Billings, PhD, Research Professor at George Washington University, noted, all life on Earth evolved to live in Earth conditions If humans cant figure out how to adapt to, or arrest, changing conditions on Earth then I cant see how humans could figure out how to adapt to a totally alien environment. [23], If humans have the technology, knowledge, and ability to transform an uninhabitable planet, moon, or other place in space into an appealing home for humans, then surely we have the technology, knowledge, and ability to fix the problems weve created on Earth. However, its atmosphere is very thin, averaging 800 Pa, or about 0.8 percent of Earth's sea-level atmospheric pressure. The paltry amount of air that does exist on Mars is primarily composed of noxious carbon dioxide, which does little to protect the surface from the Suns harmful rays. It would be like, Good news, the problems of poverty and disease have been solved, but the bad news is there arent any humans left. I think we have a duty to maintain the light of consciousness, to make sure it continues into the future. [1], According to some philosophies, humans are the only beings capable of morality, and, thus, preserving humanity is the highest moral imperative. It increases our knowledge. As of Feb. 2020, Russian Valery Polyakov had spent the longest continuous time in space (437.7 days in 1994-1995 on space station Mir), followed by Russian Sergei Avdeyev (379.6 days in 1998-1999 on Mir), Russians Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov (365 days in 1987-1988 on Mir), Russian Mikhail Kornienko and American Scott Kelly (340.4 days in 2015-2016 on Mir and ISS respectively) and American Christina Koch (328 days in 2019-20 in ISS). "Space Colonization Top 3 Pros and Cons." Technological advancement into space can exist alongside conservation efforts on Earth. Far from messing up environments that exist now, we would be creating them, with extraordinary attention to environmental sustainability. [23], Space Ecologist Joe Mascaro, PhD, summarized, To save the Earth, we have to go to Mars. Mascaro argues that expanding technology to go to Mars will help solve problems on Earth: The challenge of colonising Mars shares remarkable DNA with the challenges we face here on Earth. The lunar launch is more likely to happen in 2025, due to a lag in space suit technology and delays with the Space Launch System rocket, the Orion capsule, and the lunar lander. This expansion is important because if something catastrophic were to happen to the . They have determined that there are ample quantities of the necessary materials on the Moon and Near Earth Asteroids, that solar energy is readily available in large quantities, and that no new scientific breakthroughs are necessary. This requires fairly large radiator areas. If it weren't for colonizin space, the human race would not survive. Mission AX-1 docked at the ISS on Apr. We need a major change in how we think about what it means to be humanwe need to stop seeing our species as special and start seeing it as part of a collection of species. The starting point here is the assumption that regardless of the difficulty of the space environment, as well as the motivation for space colonization, a space habitat should offer a minimum quality of life. By colonizing space, humankind could . Thus, the pressure vessels necessary to support life would be very similar to deep-space structures. And the radiation on the Moon is about 200 times higher than on Earth, in addition to other problems colonizing the Moon would cause humans. Below are the proper citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): the Modern Language Association Style Manual (MLA), the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), and Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian). So here I will count down "Houston style," my top 5 reasons why space exploration is important for the world. Author and journalist William E. Burrows and biochemist Robert Shapiro proposed a private project, the Alliance to Rescue Civilization, with the goal of establishing an off-Earth backup of human civilization. Humans have made a mess of Earth. According to one proposed scenario, "self-replication" could be an "ultimate" goal, on the assumption that it would lead to a more rapid increase in colonies, while eliminating costs to and dependence on Earth. Zero-g recreation is available on orbital colonies, but not on the Moon or Mars. Space colonization (also called space settlement, space humanization, or space habitation) is the concept of permanent, autonomous (self-sufficient) human habitation of locations outside Earth. It is even said by some that the objective of colonizing space adds fuel to the patriotic dogma of conquest, and thus reinforces negative national prejudice rather than helping to unify Earth. Concepts proposed by scientists and in hard science fiction include: The most famous attempt to build an analogue to a self-sufficient colony is Biosphere 2, which attempted to duplicate Earth's biosphere. 1996. It is a major theme in science fiction, as well as a long-term goal of various national space programs. Unmanned supply craft may be practical with little technological advance, even crossing 1/2 billion kilometers of cold vacuum. Musk is the CEO of SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company. Water ice deposits that may exist in some polar craters could serve as a source for these elements. Between now and 2040, the companys lifespan will have tripled. Ten Days That Vanished: The Switch to the Gregorian Calendar. Circling back to the motives for space colonization, it is important to remember that we are only worried about space colonization in the near future because of . 2019, Fred Kennedy, To Colonize Space or Not to Colonize: That Is the Question (For All of Us), forbes.com, Dec. 18, 2019, Matthias Dpfner, Jeff Bezos Reveals What It's Like to Build an Empire and Why He's Willing to Spend $1 Billion a Year to Fund the Most Important Mission of His Life, businessinsider.com, Apr. With almost all of the space industry pining after colonization of Mars, the whataboutery of the long-term goal of colonization is a debate we all need to have, keeping in mind the best interest of the future of our species.The good news is that existing technologies will only improve with time, be it propulsion systems, power generation, or genetic engineering that help humans adapt better to . You want to send robots. Source 3. [2] [3] [4], Fueling popular imagination at the time was the American space race with Russia, amid which NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was formed in the United States on July 29, 1958, when President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. [5] [6] [7] [8] [36], As of June 17, 2021, three countries had space programs with human space flight capabilities: China, Russia, and the United States. A year or so into the two-year mission, oxygen had to be replenished, which strongly suggests that they achieved atmospheric closure. 3. To settle space, much cheaper launch vehicles are required, as well as a way to avoid serious damage to the atmosphere from the thousands, perhaps millions, of launches required. Heres Everything You Need to Know,", Associated Press, "The 1st Private Astronaut Mission to International Space Station Is Back on Earth,", Jasmine Wright, "Harris Congratulates NASA Astronaut Who Spent Record 355 Days in Space,". 2. Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates, While humans have long thought of gods living in the sky, the idea of space travel or humans living in space dates to at least 1610 after the invention of the telescope when German astronomer Johannes Kepler wrote to Italian astronomer Galileo: Let us create vessels and sails adjusted to the heavenly ether, and there will be plenty of people unafraid of the empty wastes. A civilization that turns away from discovery and growth stagnates. Kennedy pointed out that while humans still have problems to resolve on Earth including civil rights violations and wealth inequality, Forgoing opportunities to expand our presence into the cosmos to achieve better outcomes here at home hasnt eliminated these scourges. We shouldnt avoid exploring space based on the false dichotomy of fixing Earthly problems first. For both solar thermal and nuclear power generation in airless environments, such as the Moon and space, and to a lesser extent the very thin Martian atmosphere, one of the main difficulties is dispersing the inevitable heat generated. A continually accelerating starship: It would use a propulsion device such as a solar sail to approach the speed of light, allowing short subjective time to the crew, because of time dilation. 12, 1961, NASA put the first people, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, on the Moon in July 1969. A large asteroid, the star going nova, or even a shift in the planetary climate could devastate humanity. The module will be named SEE-1 and will dock on Axiom Station, which is the commercial wing of the International Space Station. Sooner or later, disasters such as an asteroid collision or nuclear war could wipe us all out. NASAs ongoing Artemis program, launched by President Trump in 2017, intends to return humans to the Moon, landing the first woman on the lunar surface, by 2024. Its overall surface area is similar to the dry land surface of Earth, it may have large water reserves, and has carbon (locked as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere). The solar energy available (in watts per square meter) at distance d from the Sun can be calculated by the formula E = 1366/d2, where d is measured in astronomical units. This argument assumes that money not spent on space would automatically go toward socially beneficial projects. The Artemis Project plans to set up a private lunar surface station. Maybe future humans. more like the earth this celestial body is; it However, nuclear submarines run "open loop" and typically dump carbon dioxide overboard, although they recycle oxygen. The moons of Mars have been proposed as targets for space colonization. Indias planned human space flights have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but they may launch in 2023. Print. Crowdsource Innovation. The main disadvantage of orbital colonies is lack of materials. ", ProCon.org. This can be achieved cheaply with leftover material (slag) from processing lunar soil and asteroids into oxygen, metals, and other useful materials; however, it represents a significant obstacle to maneuvering vessels with such massive bulk. The Colonize the Cosmos site advocates orbital colonies. To counter these arguments, advocates of space colonization observe that the pursuit of such a goal would stimulate the cooperative and unified efforts of people of various nationalities, and that the financial expense has been greatly overestimated. Light-Emitting . Richard Branson launched himself, two pilots, and three mission specialists into space [as defined by the United States] from New Mexico for a 90-minute flight on the Virgin Galactic Unity 22 mission on July 11, 2021. Locations in space would necessitate a space habitat, also called space colony and orbital colony, or a space station that would be intended as a permanent settlement rather than as a simple way-station or other specialized facility. Con Humans living in space is pure science fiction. Explain your answer(s). The moons themselves may be inhabited, with methods similar to those for asteroids. Earth is in trouble, but space is deeply inhospitable to humans. Colonizing it would be akin to settling Antarctica if Antarctica was trying to kill you. Solar energy in orbit is abundant and reliable, and it is commonly used to power satellites today. NASA's Mars Perseverance rover will search for signs of past microbial life. Space X and Tesla founder Elon Musk has a vision for colonising Mars, based on a big rocket, nuclear explosions and an infrastructure to transport millions of people there. Colonies on the Moon and Mars could use local materials, although the Moon is deficient in volatiles (principally hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen) but possesses a great deal of oxygen, silicon, and metals such as iron, aluminum, and titanium. Why colonize space Many design proposals have been made, with varying degrees of realism, by both science fiction authors and engineers. Managing Editor A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda. Some people believe we should not spend our money, time and resources on this enterprise, because there are problems on Earth we still haven't fixed. 1. Building colonies in space would require a combination of many factors, including access to space, food, construction materials, energy, transportation, communications, life support, simulated gravity (using steady circular rotation), entertainment, and radiation protection. Some of these European countries fought one another for control over trade and the riches of the New World. The argument of nationalism: Space proponents counter this argument by pointing out that humanity as a whole has been exploring and expanding into new territory since long before Europe's colonial age, going back into prehistory (the nationalist argument also ignores multinational cooperative space efforts). . Mankind has been dealing with challenges since the first days of its existence. Elon Musk's SpaceX plans to land two unmanned cargo ships on Mars in 2022. Heppenheimer. The fact that we have destroyed our home planet is prima facie evidence of this assertion. Ensure the survival of the human species. Astronauts have demonstrated moving multi-ton satellites by hand. Some assert that leaving Earth in shambles proves we are not ready to colonize space in terms of cultural, social, or moral infrastructure, regardless of technological advancements. Compared to other locations, Earth orbit has substantial advantages and one major, but solvable, problem. Space colonization (also called space settlement, space humanization, or space habitation) is the concept of permanent, autonomous (self-sufficient) human habitation of locations outside Earth. Then the planet must be made to produce oxygen so humans and other mammals can breathe, which will take about 100,000 years or more. Should Humans Colonize Space? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Pro 1 Humans have a right and a moral duty to save our species from suffering and extinction. As of June 17, 2021, three countries had space programs with human space flight capabilities: China, Russia, and the United States. . ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. In September 2005, NASA chief Michael Griffin made the following statement in which he identified space colonization as the ultimate goal of current spaceflight programs: the goal isn't just scientific exploration it's also about extending the range of human habitat out from Earth into the solar system as we go forward in time. Weightlessness makes construction of large colonies considerably easier than in a gravity environment. Such colonies would almost certainly be restricted to the polar regions, due to the extreme daytime temperatures elsewhere on the planet. Inertia would necessitate powerful thrusters to start or stop rotation. The concept of quality of life should play an important role in discussions of human space habitat design and planning. NASA astronauts going into space afterward rode along with Russians until 2020 when SpaceX took over and first launched NASA astronauts into space on Apr.
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