The Ethics of Space Tourism?

[cronus]

Is it ethical to waste precious resources for a hour of weightlessness and pollute the atmosphere? Would you? What is your justification of the risk? Would it change after the first big accident?

[Sean Hayden]

I guess somebody's got to have a problem with everything you do.

Shall we start the "End space tourism for the children" campaign now?

[Pappa]

Who's going to keep track of all the extra space junk?

[Coito ergo sum]

Is it ethical to waste precious resources for a hour of weightlessness and pollute the atmosphere? Would you? What is your justification of the risk? Would it change after the first big accident?

Well, if a person is serious about "global warming" they would certainly be against it. The amount of carbon and other pollutants put in the atmosphere from one space launch is tremendous.

But, for me, I think space tourism serves the useful purpose of perfecting low orbit space flight. At this point, space tourism is just shooting up barely into space and then back down. The real advance will come when people can spend the weekend up there. And, then that time needs to be extended.

Ethically, I have a problem with the termination of the US Moon program and the gutting of the US manned space flight over the past several years, as I would encourage private space endeavors and also really spend huge amounts of available "stimulus" funds on promoting Moon and Mars missions, building a Moon Base, and setting up permanent manned activities in outer space. It is imperative from a standpoint of long term survival of humanity that we do so. Otherwise we are very likely at significant risk of being doomed to the demise of our civilization most likely on the order of centuries. The only way out is up. It is unethical not to be dedicating really as much resources as we can possibly muster and which can reasonably be harnessed to further the manned space exploration as fast as is reasonably possible.

[charlou]

I'd think putting that same level of importance, urgency and funding into programs to salvage this mote of dust we currently share with so many living things would be preferable, and more realistic ..long shot though it may be.

[klr]

I tend to side with CES on this one. Space tourism is (like the Space Race) a good way of encouraging investment in space technology and space exploration. Even just making people "space-minded" again is important.

Re the carbon footprint: I've a much bigger problem with the way budget airlines are encouraging people to travel (in many cases) just for the sake of it.

[Blind groper]

High altitude cloud and ice crystals have a cooling effect on the Earth. A space vehicle is pumping out lots of water from combustion at a very high altitude. I do not know for sure, but I would strongly suspect that the teeny, tiny influence space vehicles have on our climate is beneficial.

[Seth]

Is it ethical to waste precious resources for a hour of weightlessness and pollute the atmosphere? Would you? What is your justification of the risk? Would it change after the first big accident?

I'd go up even if they wouldn't let me come back. I'd go to Mars on a one-way trip in a heartbeat.

As for polluting the atmosphere, you can complain about it right after you stop outgassing CO2...permanently.

[Seth]

I'd think putting that same level of importance, urgency and funding into programs to salvage this mote of dust we currently share with so many living things would be preferable, and more realistic ..long shot though it may be.

This planet is fucked, one way or another. We need to get the hell OFF this planet and populate the cosmos if the human species is to survive.

[cronus]

I'd suggest it would be a great way of filtering out the dumb half of the top one per cent, more focused and less problematic than a ground based revolution.

[pErvinalia]

I'd think putting that same level of importance, urgency and funding into programs to salvage this mote of dust we currently share with so many living things would be preferable, and more realistic ..long shot though it may be.

This planet is fucked, one way or another. We need to get the hell OFF this planet and populate the cosmos if the human species is to survive.

The planet's not fucked. It will be fine. It's us that are fucked, unless we change our ways. I say do both (space investment/tourism/exploration and environmental work).

[trdsf]

Is it ethical to waste precious resources for a hour of weightlessness and pollute the atmosphere? Would you? What is your justification of the risk? Would it change after the first big accident?

Rocket fuel -- at least for liquid fueled rockets -- is liquid H2 and liquid O2, and the product of burning them is just water (and a LOT of heat)... or oxygen and some form of kerosene or other hydrocarbon, which will give water and carbon dioxide. Solid-fuel boosters emit water and carbon dioxide mainly, with a little hydrogen chloride and aluminium oxide. So I really don't see a pollution issue or a precious resource issue.

I genuinely don't see the ethical questions either. Of course, if I ever hit the lottery big, I'll be banging on Space Adventures' door with a check in hand to put me up there. Strap me in that Soyuz, and "поехали!"

I'm sure the first accident will be news... but no doubt so were the first commercial plane crashes, and train crashes, and bus crashes. They don't appear to have stopped those respective transportation industries. Space travel only seems a big deal now because it is a big deal now, like flying in a plane was before 1910, or traveling by train in the 1830s. It's just taking a lot longer to become commonplace and commercial than planes, trains and automobiles did.

[Clinton Huxley]

Everything is a waste of resources.

[charlou]

Everything is a waste of resources.

But this wine is pretty good.

[Clinton Huxley]

Everything is a waste of resources.

But this wine is pretty good.

Ok, apart from wine.