Agreeing ethical and sustainability norms for space

The space industry is booming. With three rovers currently exploring Mars and a manned mission to the moon planned for 2025, the universe is at our fingertips.

Seven years after the first ever successful space mission, world leaders agreed space exploration should be for the benefit of all humankind. However, in the decades since, the dynamics of the space industry have changed. The rise of tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Richard Branson launching their own private missions risks shifting the focus away from curiosity-driven space exploration towards more commercial enterprises. Without any international framework for how we should approach space activity, future ethical decisions could default to a powerful minority.

"The lack of agreed ethical values and sustainability norms represents a gap in the space sector at large. Space exploration is primarily focused on STEM research and mission support," explains Derek Matravers, a philosopher at The Open University. "However, social and ethical oversight of this research is needed to prevent it from exacerbating existing inequalities. Environmental justice within and beyond our planet, issues of human rights in space, and territorial appropriation are at stake without regulation."

Matravers and the Space Ethics Group at The Open University are working to develop an appropriate ethical framework to address these issues. Space ethics covers a huge number of philosophical questions, focusing on how humanity should respond to various scenarios made possible by space exploration. Many of these questions are extremely complex. Should we attempt to interact with extra-terrestrial life forms? And if so, what should we say? And who should say it on behalf of humanity? Fractious politics and diverse cultural views across Earth mean reaching a global consensus on an appropriate code of behaviour is exceedingly difficult. Recognising this challenge, the team are keen to explore a variety of perspectives from scientists, policy makers, and the general public to help shape their recommendations.

"Space is described in various UN documents as 'a global commons' and as 'the common heritage of all mankind'," says Matravers. That is, space belongs to everyone and it is important that a range of perspectives are brought together so that our conceptions of space exploration do not focus narrowly on commercial exploration or building advantage for rich 'space faring' nations."

Supported by the Open University's Open Societal Challenges programme, the team will begin by sparking general interest in space ethics, running a mixture of events including a lecture series, a reading group, and workshops. In parallel they will continue their research focus on the most pressing astroethical issues and, in the second stage of the project, will produce a series of resources to support practitioners within the industry to navigate these complex social issues. Ultimately, the team hope to work with policy makers and space agencies to embed positive ethical practices in the space industry and promote a strong collaborative future for this evolving sector.

"Humankind did not do too well in the way it explored and exploited our habitat on Earth," says Matravers. "By thinking now about space exploration, the hope is that we can do better this time around."