R.E.

Lo, Space Generation Forum at UNISPACE III, Vienna, July 21st) 1999
Contents
Space and Ethics:
"Long Term Considerations, Short Term Consequences"
R.E.Lo
Space Transportation Systems, Aerospace Institute, Univ. of Techn. Berlin

Contents:
Definitions and varie- Long Term Issues and Short Term Conse-
ties of ethics Questions quences
Pure and Applied The state of the art Astronauts vs. Robots
Ethics and trends of space The role of the Moon
Normative principles travel Lunar development
Space related sample Questions about favorable and required
problems 2000 ± 500 years for mankind‟s preser-
Varieties of space The difference vation?
ethics between Moon and Space travel as a
Mars prime ethical demand
The Matrix of space
travel & space uses

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R.E.Lo, Space Generation Forum at UNISPACE III, Vienna, July 21st)
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Definitions and varieties of ethics / Space related sample problems

Definitions:
Pure Ethics: the theory of proper conduct within the framework of
chosen moral boundary conditions
Applied Ethics: analysis of specific, c o n t r o v e r s ia l mo r a l issues
>An issue is controversial, if there are significant groups of people both for and
against it
>An applied ethical issue must have distinctly moral aspects
Applied ethics is subdivided into convenient groups:
medical ethics business ethics environmental ethics sexual ethics
social ethics engineering ethics s p a c e e t h i c s a s a c o n g l o m e r a t e

Normative principles used in applied ethics:

Benefits: personal, social (principles of utilitarian consequencialist theories)
Principles: benevolence, paternalism, harm, honesty, lawfulness, autonomy, jus-
tice (principles from non-consequencialist duty- and
right-based Kant-type theories)
Rights: a person's rights to life, information, privacy, free expression and safety.
[The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/a/appliede.htm] © 1996

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R.E.Lo, Space Generation Forum at UNISPACE III, Vienna, July 21st)
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Definitions and varieties of ethics / Space related sample problems
The environment of space travel is the universe!
Varieties of space ethics:
A n t h r o p o c e n t r i c s p a c e e t h i c s evaluates all policies exclusively in terms of
their effects on human beings
> “Space for the benefit of mankind” (the old „space-$ vs. cancer-$‟ competition!)
P s yc h o c e n t r i c e t h i c s considers humans as just one kind of animal: effects
on ”non-human animals” must be taken into account in all moral appraisals
> The Ethics of animal experiments: was Leika justified?
> Which animals should we take along, if any?
B i o c e n t r i c e t h i c s : expands the circle of moral considerability to all members
of the class of living things
> What attitude towards extraterrestrial life would be appropriate?
> In 'biocentric egalitarianism' humans might not be counted as most significant:
”The preservation of the biosphere and of large ecosystems might be morally
preferable to the preservation of large numbers of humans” *)
> Creation of new classes of living things: genetic engineering / cyborgs / AI
T h e E v e r yt h i n g E t h i c s : the ethics of widest possible scope
>”If it is organizational complexity per se that makes something morally consider-
able, then some natural non-living things will be morally considerable, such as
the solar system or mineral crystals” *)
> Adopt the Antarctic model for Moon, Mars and the rest of the universe?
[*)Philosophy Online: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au]

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Definitions and varieties of ethics / Space related sample problems

Intermediate conclusions concerning

the ethics of space travel / space development

Ethics applies to objects with m o r a l c o n s i d e r a b i l i t y that may include

human-, sentient-, living- or any other b e i n g s a n d o b j e c t s such as
> extraterrestrials (the problem of standards: is ethics reciprocal?)
> robots with or without AI (the HAL problem; the ASIMOV laws of robotics)
> planetary surfaces, planets and other celestial bodies (Gaya and Astra?)

Issues of applied ethics must be c o n t r o v e r s i a l a n d m o r a l arguments

> A utilitarian question as example: can idealistic and moral rewards make
personal space flight worthwhile (as opposed to automated missions)?

Environmental ethics is by far the most important case in point and covers far
more than just terrestrial atmospheric pollution
> e.g. would planetoforming be unethical?
> How far should mankind go to the stars?

Do we need a space ethics?

Which space issues qualify as ethical?

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R.E.Lo, Space Generation Forum at UNISPACE III, Vienna, July 21st)
Long term considerations

State of the art and trends of space travel

Commercial exploitation of earth-oriented missions blooms
> Telecommunication, earth observation, remote sensing
> Space tourism: in the stage of early preparation
Next step of in-situ activities in progress, but open to controversy
> ISS: hailed and failed?
Space exploration:
> wealth of lunar and planetary robotic missions
> interstellar missions: rudiments only
> role of humans controversial
Space development
> Lunar expedition, outpost, observatory, lab, settlement, colony?
> The same for Mars?
> extraterrestrial production (Moon, Mars, asteroids): theory only
> Power from space (Glaser and others): an unborn child growing old
> Light from space (Oberth/Krafft-Ehricke): early experiments
Other
> asteroid protection : space flight as Salvator Mundi, after all
> Other others (e.g. O´Neill / Kardashev settlements):
transition to Science Fiction
Again: w hich space issues qualify as ethical?
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R.E.Lo, Space Generation Forum at UNISPACE III, Vienna, July 21st)
Long term considerations

What did the 500 years after the colonization of the North American
continent teach us? Questions and Answers

Q: Would Lunar and planetary development further, in the long run,

aggressive differentiation?
> A: it might do so on a bilateral scale (historic model: EU/US)
> A: it might also do so on an interplanetary scale (the Star Wars problem)

Q: Would Lunar and planetary development destroy the natural environment

of the celestial bodies?
> A: they would – and we should care! (The conservationist problem)

Q: Would Lunar and planetary development lead, in the long run, to the
problem of Homo Lunaticus?
> A: extremely likely, but would that not be great?
(A problem of the ethics of races. LPA: see “Total Recall”)

Q: Thus: would Lunar and planetary development do us any good?

> A: We have to distinguish between Moon and Mars

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R.E.Lo, Space Generation Forum at UNISPACE III, Vienna, July 21st)
Long term considerations

Moon and Mars: two very different issues

The Moon
Is a giant natural space station right in front of our cosmic doorstep
> Hence can serve as everything from Terra Firma in space to Noah‟s Ark
By its very nature, is essentially immune against pollution
> Special conditions for lunar industrialization
Is just within range of life communication
> Telecommunication, telescience, telepresence, teletourism
Is known to posses resources that are extremely valuable there and on Earth
> Undiluted sunshine, water, Helium-3

Mars
Offers nothing but the beauty of a foreign world
> Colonizing Mars is a true issue of applied environmental ethics
Is extremely vulnerable to pollution
> Great care was taken to send completely sterile probes. Should we now send
human garbage?
Is out of reach for direct communication

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R.E.Lo, Space Generation Forum at UNISPACE III, Vienna, July 21st)
Long term considerations

Hierarchies of space activities:

Travel: LEO < Cis-lunar < interplanetary < interstellar < intergalactic
Exploration: Observation < probes < robots < telescience < expeditions
Exploitation: Production a/o transport of information < energy < matter a/o people
Colonization: Space Station < outpost < observatory < E&E camp < settlement
< autarky < autonomy < independence

Matrix of space travel & space uses

and their evaluation from an ethical vantage point:
Earth space Lunar space Planets Beyond
Exploration + ++ ++ ++
Exploitation ++ ++ -- --
Colonization + +- -- --
Space exploration is the immediate interface with the universe and emerges as a
prime demand of anthropocentric space ethics!
> Exploration makes sense everywhere. Slightly lesser evaluation near Earth is
caused by competition with non-space techniques
Space exploitation (commercialization) makes a lot of sense in cis-lunar space,
no sense at all beyond
Colonization is doubtful on the Moon, refutable beyond
> “+” in Earth space refers to LEO uses, such as tourism

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R.E.Lo, Space Generation Forum at UNISPACE III, Vienna, July 21st)
Long term considerations

Questions in the socio-cultural environment of space developments:

Do we need more people or rather better people?

> The problem of a sustainable civilization (LPA: education is the best method for
improving the standard of living, high STOL is best for controlling proliferation)
> The on-going demographic transition need be supported

Will AI and robotics lead to Homo Superior?

> “When they come, they will come fast!”
> Solve the problems of Golem-angst and cyborg responsibility (LPA: no need to
worry, it is the natural way. Mankind will be praised for it)

Is there other life, other intelligence?

> Discovery of ETL and/or ETI may be just a question of time. (LPA: Let us try to
finish globalization before we are confronted with the need of universalization!)
> Not a question of space activities

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R.E.Lo, Space Generation Forum at UNISPACE III, Vienna, July 21st)
Short term consequences

Consequences and Conclusions:

Any planning should restrict space development to Lunar development
> consider Earth and Moon as twin planets

Restrict human dissemination to cis-lunar space!

> Promotion of automatic probes and robotics
> Mars exploration to be based on surface robot probes supported, if necessary,
by telepresence of human crew in orbital Mars Station (possible exceptions:
artists for movie production and athletes, e.g. mountaineers, also for movies)
> At the present or any future level of military technology we could not afford
repeating the mistakes made in the past (Star Wars)

Lunar development as UN activity would help developing countries

pass the demographic transition
> Takes advantage of visibility and enthusiasm potential of space projects
> Provides developing countries with peaceful access to high-tech
> Prevents wasteful parallel developments

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R.E.Lo, Space Generation Forum at UNISPACE III, Vienna, July 21st)
Summary

Summary

Anthropocentric ethics strongly supports exploratory space activities in all realms

of space

Outside the Earth-Moon twin system, space exploration should be left, as far as
possible, to automated spacecraft, since alternatives with heavy human presence
meet with strong objections by applied environmental ethics

The globalization of space activities should be initiated by an appropriate UN

project “Lunar Development for Terrestrial Benefit”

It is strongly suggested that the UN takes the necessary steps to create an ap-
propriate international body

•••
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