why space colonization is important

Inherent in exploration of all types is the opportunities that it opens up to the people doing the exploring. The most common ideas for space colonization include: settling Earths Moon, building on Mars, and constructing free-floating space stations. Changing organisms (by genetic engineering) to become more compatible with the environment. There isn't anywhere like the Earth in the solar system, so we would have to go to another star. value attempts to balance the rate of gain in genetic variation due to mutation with the rate of loss due to genetic drift. "Space Colonization Top 3 Pros and Cons." 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. Others have also written about space colonies, such as Lasswitz in 1897, and Bernal, Oberth, Von Pirquet, and Noordung in the 1920s. 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. The Living Universe Foundation has a detailed plan in which the entire galaxy is colonized. Is space colonization necessary? And currently have no viable solution to protect ourselves from them. On Earth, a large, complex biosphere provides these. Foresight Nanotechnology InstituteThe space challenge. Space colonization is the next logical step in space exploration and human growth. [20]. NASA's Griffin: 'Humans Will Colonize the Solar System. 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), American Mark Vande Hei (355 days on ISS) 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). Technological advancement into space can exist alongside conservation efforts on Earth. 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. Wernher von Braun contributed his ideas in a 1952 Colliers article. The movies have visualized trips to those worlds in many different ways. [35], Humans would have a host of illnesses to deal with due to climate differences on Mars or the Moon: cancer, radiation illnesses, reproductive problems (or sterility), muscle degeneration, bone loss, skin burns, cardiovascular disease, depression, boredom, an inability to concentrate, high blood pressure, immune disorders, metabolic disorders, visual disorders, balance and sensorimotor problems, structural changes in the brain, nausea, dizziness, weakness, cognitive decline, and altered gene function, among others. 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. Returning to the Moon would have cost an estimated $104 billion in 2005 (about $133 billion in 2019 dollars), or almost 7 times NASAs entire 2019 budget. However, NASA ended its space shuttle program in 2011 when the shuttle Atlantis landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 21. It increases our knowledge. Saturn 's largest moon Titan is one of several candidates for possible future colonization of the outer Solar System, though protection against extreme cold is a major consideration. This plan also discusses the possible use of "air pockets" for human habitation. This understanding is incredibly important in moving towards a nation that holds a strong and respectful relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Colonization, or the desire to establish permanent settlements, soon followed. The late physicist Stephen Hawking believed that humanity needs to colonize another planet within the next century, if it is to avoid the threat of extinction [source: Kharpal ]. 23, 2021, Devin Coldewey, Virgin Galactic and Richard Branson Celebrate Launch of First Passengers into Space, techcrunch.com, July 11, 2021, Jonathan Amos, Sir Richard Branson Takes off on 'Extraordinary' Space Flight, bbc.com, July 11, 2021, Marcia Dunn, Jeff Bezos Blasts into Space on Own Rocket: Best Day Ever!, apnews.com, July 21, 2021, NASA, Who Was Alan Shepard?, nasa.gov, Aug. 7, 2017, Paul Rincon, Christina Koch: Nasa Astronaut Sets New Female Space Record, bbc.com, Feb. 6, 2020, NASA, International Space Station Facts and Figures, nasa.gov, May 13, 2021, Pew Research Center, Majority of Americans Believe It Is Essential That the U.S. Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, stated, I think there is a strong humanitarian argument for making life multi-planetary, in order to safeguard the existence of humanity in the event that something catastrophic were to happen, in which case being poor or having a disease would be irrelevant, because humanity would be extinct. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Stanisaw Lem, Solaris. If so, how? We should colonize other habitable planets due to. The dreamers, thinkers and explorers who decide to go to Mars will, by necessity, fuel unprecedented lateral innovations [that will solve problems on Earth]. [27], Briony Horgan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Planetary Science at Purdue University, explained that terraforming Mars is way beyond any kind of technology were going to have any time soon. [28], In one widely promoted plan, Mars needs to first be warmed to closer to Earths average temperature (from -60 C/-76 F to 15 C/59 F), which will take approximately 100 years. And we can do this while also pursuing colonization. [23], Jeff Bezos suggested that we move all heavy industry off Earth and then zone Earth for residences and light industry only. This argument assumes that money not spent on space would automatically go toward socially beneficial projects. 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. Dreams of space settlement hit a zenith in the 1950s with Walt Disney productions such as Man and the Moon, and science fiction novels including Ray Bradburys The Martian Chronicles (1950). And even the worst catastrophes are unlikely to leave this world as hostile to humanity as a planet with no life, no atmosphere,. t. e. Space colonization (also called space settlement or extraterrestrial colonization ) is the use of outer space or celestial bodies other than Earth for permanent habitation or as extraterrestrial territory . Elon Musk's SpaceX plans to land two unmanned cargo ships on Mars in 2022. Space colonization is tremendously important for the future of humankind in two ways. Spread life and beauty throughout the universe. Therefore, humans would not be confined to the Earth. The English, 22.06.2019 02:50. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13], Richard Branson launched himself, two pilots, and three mission specialists into space from New Mexico for a 90-minute flight on the Virgin Galactic Unity 22 mission on July 11, 2021. The closest terrestrial analogue to space life support is possibly that of Nuclear submarines. Pro 1 Humans have a right and a moral duty to save our species from suffering and extinction. The Moon's low surface gravity (about one-sixth g) is also a concern. Why Werner Herzog Thinks Human Space Colonization 'Will Inevitably Fail' (arstechnica.com) 179. Another seminal book on the subject was the book, The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space, by Gerard K. O'Neill[11] in 1977, which was followed the same year by Colonies in Space by T. A. This part of the atmosphere is probably within dense clouds that contain some sulfuric acid. If humans were to colonize space, how could life on Earth change? However, its atmosphere is very thin, averaging 800 Pa, or about 0.8 percent of Earth's sea-level atmospheric pressure. One common phrase used to describe the necessity of space colonization is that it is unwise to put "all of your eggs in one basket." Should a catastrophe occur on Earth, and all humans on Earth die out, humans in space colonies would still be alivemeaning that humanity would not be extinct. Large structures would be needed to convert sunlight into significant amounts of electrical power for settlers' use. N The fully automated, unpiloted Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launched on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and was named after Alan Shepard, who was the first American to travel into space on May 5, 1961. These may be expensively imported from the Earth, or more cheaply from extraterrestrial sources, such as the Moon (which has ample metals, silicon, and oxygen), Near Earth Asteroids, which have all the materials needed (with the possible exception of nitrogen), comets, or elsewhere. John Traphagan, PhD, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, argued, Colonization has the odor of running away from the problems weve created here; if we do that, we will simply bring those problems with us. The module will be named SEE-1 and will dock on Axiom Station, which is the commercial wing of the International Space Station. e In space settlements, a relatively small, closed ecological system must recycle or import all the nutrients without "crashing.". While this is not the first time paying customers or non-astronauts have traveled to ISS (Russia has sold Soyuz seats), this is the first American mission and the first with no government astronaut corps members. But 58% said they were definitely or probably not interested in going to space. Why colonize space These solutions are the cornerstones that have helped people expand their horizons. The module will be named SEE-1 and will dock on Axiom Station, which is the commercial wing of the International Space Station. Proponents say artificial intelligence can improve workplace safety. After the Russians put the first person, Yuri Gagarin, in space on Apr. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. In popular culture, space travel dates back to at least the mid-1600s when Cyrano de Bergerac first wrote of traveling to space in a rocket. This kind of space settlement is arguably the most important of inventions we'd need to give us a permanent place in space. e In between these close approaches to home, the asteroid may travel out to a furthest distance of some 350,000,000 kilometers from the Sun (its aphelion) and 500,000,000 kilometers from Earth. It is in my view a good idea to see if we can do this as one day Earth will not be livable and yes it is a very long time from now but one should learn now in order to do this in the future. "Man has gone out to explore other worlds and other civilizations without having explored his own labyrinth of dark passages and secret chambers, and without finding what lies behind doorways that he himself has sealed.". Proponents say the internet is reprogramming our brains. Also, the climate of Mars is colder than Earth's. [25], Munevar also suggested something similar in more detail: In the shorter term, a strong human presence throughout the solar system will be able to prevent catastrophes on Earth by, for example, deflecting asteroids on a collision course with us. (For articles about the Movement, see The Space Movement ). The benefits to humanity created by the resources and knowledge create a moral obligation to colonize space. [22], Sheri Wells-Jensen, PhD, Associate Professor of English at Bowling Green State University, argues that the moral imperative goes even further than simple preservation: [W]e have a moral obligation to improve: that is, to colonize yes, but to do it better: to actively unthink systems of oppression that we know exist. Ross Andersen, Exodus: Elon Musk Argues That We Must Put a Million People on Mars if We Are to Ensure That Humanity Has a Future, aeon.co, Sep. 30, 2014, Anne Collins Goodyear, Space Travel Was a Dream for Artists Long before Armstrong Stepped on Moon, business-standard.com, July 15, 2019, Authors Calendar, Savien Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655), authorscalendar.info (accessed July 23, 2021), Mike Wright, Article on Von Braun and Walt Disney, nasa.gov, Aug. 3, 2017, Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Yuri Gagarin, eb.com, Mar. Jma calls what's happening "green colonization," a term the Norwegian . Explain your answer(s). The orbits of the Earth and most asteroids are very distant from each other in terms of delta-v, and the asteroidal bodies have enormous momentum. Living on Mars will require mastery of recycling matter and water, producing food from barren and arid soil, generating carbon-free nuclear and solar energy, building advanced batteries and materials, and extracting and storing carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide and doing it all at once. One pragmatic argument suggests that if even half the money of space exploration were spent for terrestrial betterment, there would be greater good for a greater number of people, at least in the short term. The thin atmosphere also means that heat cannot be retained at the surface. Ever since the 1800s science fiction writers have been speculating about what it would take to reach other worlds. O'Neill's plans for the colonies originally appeared in the . N 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. 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. = Mission AX-1 docked at the ISS on Apr. 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. With globalization, increased carbon emissions, wars, travel, overpopulation, wealth disparity, and a rising climate that seems to make everyone's blood boil, it's no surprise that some people have considered leaving this planet behind. The Moon has nights of two Earth weeks in duration and Mars has night, dust, and is farther from the Sun, reducing solar energy available by a factor of about 1/2-1/3, and possibly making nuclear power more attractive on these bodies. In the meantime, we shall prepare, for the brave sky-travellers, maps of the celestial bodies. [1], In popular culture, space travel dates back to at least the mid-1600s when Cyrano de Bergerac first wrote of traveling to space in a rocket. 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. If the goal of space colonization is to create another civilization that is viable independently of the continued success of Earth-based civilization, there will be enormous challenges putting in place the large infrastructure necessary for an industrial civilization. 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). Even colonization advocates would be happy with colonization of the Moon, the asteroids, and many other destinations. As I mentioned in the introduction, Musk and SpaceX hope to create the first city-like colony on Mars by . 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. 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. 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. First, space colonization means that the total future number of humans who will exist and whose lives will be worth living could be orders of magnitude greater than today (Baum et al., 2019, Beckstead, 2013, Bostrom, 2003). (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) Book of Mars: $22.99 at Magazines Direct. However, a great deal of engineering would be required. The Artemis Project designed a plan to colonize Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. Astronauts spend an average of 182 days (about six months) aboard the ISS. 3. If a workable solution were found and implemented, a project of that magnitude would cost billions, perhaps trillions. Analyze Christopher Schabergs position that Were Already Colonizing Mars.. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. The most important reason for space colonization is the continued existence of the human race in the face of a catastrophic event. 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. The Alliance to Rescue Civilization plans to establish backups of human civilization on the Moon and other locations away from Earth. One concern for the colonists would be to assure that their asteroid did not hit Earth or any other body of significant mass, yet they would have extreme difficulty in moving an asteroid of any size. 25, 2022. So here I will count down "Houston style," my top 5 reasons why space exploration is important for the world. Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) is a student organization founded in 1980 at. Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver . Such colonies would almost certainly be restricted to the polar regions, due to the extreme daytime temperatures elsewhere on the planet. Space exploration gives us the chance to begin colonizing other locations, giving us hope that our species can survive. Alternatively, the waste heat can be used to melt ice on the poles of a planet like Mars. 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. Sooner or later, disasters such as an asteroid collision or nuclear war could wipe us all out. Colonizing space is one method of doing so. 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. Compared to other locations, Earth orbit has substantial advantages and one major, but solvable, problem. The five Earth-Sun Lagrange points would totally eliminate eclipses, but only L1 and L2 would be reachable in a few days' time. The greatest obstacle for the Space Movement has been credibility. A year or so into the two-year mission, oxygen had to be replenished, which strongly suggests that they achieved atmospheric closure. However, if such a goal were to imply human self-replication, it would treat people as machines, requiring genetic experimentation on humans and expecting that human nature and the human desire for a spouse and family life can be by-passed in some cavalier fashion. Space can be colonized and provide Earth with the. [31] [32], But, a person has yet to set foot on Mars, and no space station has been built on another planet or natural satellite. [16] [17], On Apr. Explore and monitor how Space is affecting economies, industries and global issues. An alternative solution would be to bring hydrogen from Earth and combine it with oxygen extracted from lunar rock. Crowdsource Innovation. The advancement of this goal toward the mainstream is energizing the Movement. A large asteroid, the star going nova, or even a shift in the planetary climate could devastate humanity. Ensure sufficient supply of valuable materials that may soon be in short supplymaterials such as. This was seen as . NASA's Mars Perseverance rover will search for signs of past microbial life. Particularly in the weightless conditions of space, sunlight can be used directly, using large solar ovens made of lightweight metallic foil so as to generate thousands of degrees of heat at no cost; or reflected onto crops to enable photosynthesis to proceed. Transportation of large quantities of materials from the Moon, Phobos, Deimos, and Near Earth asteroids to orbital settlement construction sites would probably be necessary. Other people believe that by colonizing other planets, we will only bring . For more details . In highly electrified nations on Earth, per-capita electrical consumption can average 1 kilowatt/person (or roughly 10 megawatt-hours per person per year.[2]). Curiosity is the embryo of all sciences; without it . Its gravity is only around a third that of Earth; it is unknown whether this is sufficient to support human life for long periods. The inhabitation and territorial use of extraterrestrial space has been proposed to be realized by for example building space . In a lecture Tuesday in Los Angles, the 71-year . For example, the star Tau Ceti, about eleven light years away, has an abundance of cometary and asteroidal material in orbit around it. 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. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard 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. Harvard Univ., $29.95 By 20th century expectations, we are way behind schedule on colonizing the solar system. 3 reasons Mars colonization might be a bad idea. According to this view, there is nothing in space that is really needed, adding that moving beyond the solar system is totally impractical in any "reasonable" time scale. Thus, the pressure vessels necessary to support life would be very similar to deep-space structures. One of the major arguments for Martian colonization is its contribution to our science and technological development. 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. 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. ", ProCon.org. The speculation is that hot, hydrogen-containing balloons would be used to suspend large masses at roughly Earth gravity. Musk said he wants Mars Base Alpha done by 2028 for the first . Within 148 pages, explore the mysteries of Mars. In Jan. 2022, Space Entertainment Enterprise (SEE) announced plans for a film production studio and a sports arena in space. This requires fairly large radiator areas. 1. The fully automated, unpiloted Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launched on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and was named after Alan Shepard, who was the first American to travel into space on May 5, 1961. Space is inhospitable to humans and life in space, if even possible, would be miserable. 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. What is the value of space exploration? By comparison, NASA's yearly budget averages only about $15 billion a year. The moons themselves may be inhabited, with methods similar to those for asteroids. But once we spread out into space and establish independent colonies, our future should be safe. Human beings across civilizations have had to come up with solutions for everyday problems. But before humans venture to distant worlds, they'll most likely be starting with a colony on the moon. And space exploration with colonization of other planets is the only solution in the long term. Source 3. Earth is in trouble, but space is deeply inhospitable to humans. 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. [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. Distinct cultural important (hard to define) is probably good reason. 28, 2008, Rahul Rao, India's Human Spaceflight Plans Coming Together Despite Delays, space.com, June 17, 2021, Daniel Oberhaus, The US Hitches Its Final Ride to Space From Russiafor Now, wired.com, Apr. Project Orion: A concept proposed by Freeman Dyson that could use nuclear bombs to propel a starship. It has been suggested that Mercury could be colonized using the same technology, approach, and equipment that would be used for colonization of the Moon. Colonizing space is one method of doing so. 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 Jupiter would be less suitable for habitation due to its high gravity, escape velocity, and radiation. Planetary colonization advocates cite the following potential locations: Mars is often the topic of discussion regarding "terraforming"the process of making the entire planet or at least large portions of it habitable. What was science fiction began to look more like possibility. Indias planned human space flights have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but they may launch in 2023. Somewhere around 5-10 tons of material per square meter of surface area is required. These colonies would be positioned to construct massive solar power satellites to provide clean power to the Earth, as well as set up industries that on Earth create much environmental damage. A space colony can be the answer to philosophical challenges and economic expectations facing us here on Earth. 1. Dreams of space settlement hit a zenith in the 1950s with Walt Disney productions such as Man and the Moon, and science fiction novels including Ray Bradburys The Martian Chronicles (1950). In another scenario proposed in 2002, anthropologist John H. Moore estimated that a population of 150180 would allow normal reproduction for 60 to 80 generationsequivalent to 2,000 years. Humans living in space is pure science fiction. See full answer below. Should Humans Colonize Space? 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. The National Space Society is an organization with the vision of "people living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth. [18] [19] [40], In Jan. 2022, Space Entertainment Enterprise (SEE) announced plans for a film production studio and a sports arena in space. Ten Days That Vanished: The Switch to the Gregorian Calendar.

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