Space Tourism: Is it ethical?

[Editor]

Discovering and traveling to unexplored places has been one of the favorite past times of human beings. Whether it is across the continents, under the sea, or in the space above man has successfully developed the requisite technology to explore the unknown. The benefit lies with the awareness that comes with this exploration. To cite an example, it might be essential to study the flora and fauna inside the deep sea in order to take care that they might not face extinction. This is to say that our role in exploring the unknown should be limited to conserving the delicate balance in the environment.

However opening space to tourism puts a question mark on our desire to conserve nature. Recently, the US government has decided to issue license for a manned sub-orbital rocket. In simple terms, this decision will allow private individuals to undertake commercial space flights in years to come. On the face of it, this development signifies the technological progress made by man. However, the picture is not as rosy as it seems.

The number of people who can afford to holiday in space will not be much, but this cannot be taken as an excuse to disturb the ecological balance. The natural calamities that devastate us are often a result of the disturbances in the environment. These disturbances are often created by man himself. The ozone hole due to pollution is a perfect example. Thus by promoting tourism in space, the environment is bound to become more fragile.

The earth is full of beautiful tourist destinations, which need both money and attention to maintain their appeal. The earth has not yet lost its glory and never will. The nature should be left by itself and our intrusion into it should be limited. Our duty as sensible human beings is to conserve it. What is your gutfeel?


Editor

[anshulseth]

Hi ppl,
I agree to an extent to the views expressed, that it is not correct to disturb the ecological balance, especially if it is going to affect our lives on earth by creating imbalances in the environment. But that effect i feel is not so much in favour of stopping space excursions in toto.

Curiousity is the mother of all inventions, and has led man to invent or discover more and more things, avenues which has helped it in evolution or growth. It lead us to know about our neighbours, to step on moon, to visit unexplored regions, and more recently the findings of Mars having life, and the newly found tenth planet. So this is the process of evolution, of exploring more n more. Who knows this way we may come up with something new which may be helpful to the mankind. Who knows?

And so talking about not stepping in this direction is not fully correct. Who does not want to go places, n have once in a lifetime experience, n if a person can afford it, so b it. If given a chance, evryone including me would love to go 2 space before dying. So this way it is very difficult to curb people from doing this.
In fact, making of nuclear arms was also never in mankind's health, but it was done extensively n is still being followed profusely.

But yes, the harm to the nature argument cannot be sidelined at all, but the extent of harm has to be put into numbers or made known to the people for them to take corrective action.
But i don't c this happening in near future, n i c this business to grow, with me also dreaming to be a part of it, if at all possible.

Asset

[Aditi77_k]

After reading the article i can only say that the tourism to the space should not be for fun. I understand that research work can be conducted but not more. Although i would also love to visit space before i die but not at the cost of disturbing the ecological balance....What u say guys?

Aditi

[iyervijay]

hi,

I do not agree with the idea that space tourism has to be discouraged. Let us all accept with the fact mankind is a ever evolving and very inquisitive by nature. Everyone wants to tour the space, I too want to want to go the space, if I have the right resources to do it.

Why do you guys single out the space? If you think that touring space is disturbing the ecological, then should be applicable to tourism on any virgin land on the earth. No human should be allowed in any animal sanctuaries!!! Yes I do agree that the ecological balance should be affected which can be controlled (permit activities on the space which do not adversely affect the balance).

Any comments????


Regards
Vijay

[Aditi77_k]

I agree that mankind is evolving but my gutfeel is that the nature should be left on its own as far as possible. I agree with the view that research work is ok, but invading space for tourism might have negative conseqences.

any more gutfeel?

[navin]

Thousands of hectares of forests are cut every day, a few species get extinct every day, we are pollution with our vehicles and factories so much that living in Bombay is like smoking 2 packs of cigarettes every day.
I guess the harm we will be doing by travelling in outer space is not going to be as bad as the damages we are doing by staying here.

[SniperX]

There is little or no doubt, as far as I am concerned, that we will ultimately 'travel' within space, as regularly as we travel to Spain, American, etc. today. This is assuming that we are able to fully develop the technology required before making ourselves extinct.

However, as noted within the original post, this brings issues of ethics on the scale that we, as humans, have never had to contemplate before.

I think it is fair to assume that we have proven ourselves unfit for the position of stewards, which is essentially what we are, despite our arrogant beliefs to the contrary.

The question then becomes, should we be allowed to exercise our poor destructive stewardship over planets and worlds which we simply should leave alone. The obvious answer is no we shouldn't. You don't solve a problem simply by moving it; you merely extend the problem instead.

How can space tourism possibly be right or justified when we cannot yet fully comprehend or fathom the impact of tourism on the planet we do have rights over?

Further, how long before space tourism becomes space living. The wealthy, (though I do not believe money has much of a lifetime left, as we know it today) inhabit the new planets, leaving the poor classes on the expiring and dwindling planet earth.

How long after that, before the disenfranchised earth-dwellers become enraged at their poor treatment and inter-galactic wars begin? It sounds almost crazy to the point of unbelievable and paranoid. However we do the exact same thing with countries here on earth. What evidence is there to suggest that we would act any differently in a space environment?

So, is it ethical? Not at all. Will it happen? Undoubetdly. Will it solve any problems? Not at all. Not long term at least.

[Mellisa]

My gutfeel says that Space tourism should be enouraged..

What’s' the harm if some people have money and want to have fun in space, let them enjoy. Its completely ethical to me.

I feel the question should be: how are we going to use the money generated out of space tourism. Some people have talked about cutting of trees and other hygine issues.

I will say the money generated should be spent on saving the environment of earth. There are several places where me need money to improve and save the environment. Route the money in these activities and make Earth a better place to live.

To me space tourism is ethical and makes sense.

[Jan]

It seems to me that humankind is just looking for smewhere else to "tour" and maybe in the future inhabit....Rats jumping a sinking ship perhaps.

My gutfeel is that the cost of such projects probably amount to billions of whatever currency you like. I'm more for using this money to improve the bit of space that we all have to live on now. Of couse, I have no doubt that space travel, whether it be for tourism or emigration purposes is inevitable.

[Mellisa]