If you were captain of the first USS Enterprise, where would you go!? Humanity is on the verge of reaching the stars, perhaps not now or in our lifetime, but cosmologically speaking it is just around the corner. A new paper examines the new technology that could make it a reality, but also carefully considers the ethical issues. Before we take our first trips, we also need to be clear about ethical considerations so that our exploration is sustainable and responsible.
In 1961, Yuri Gagarin completed the first manned space flight. In the decades that followed, human visitors came to the Moon and countless probes visited the planets. Exploring the stars is a challenge of a very different kind, but with theoretical concepts like nuclear propulsion and even warp drive, it may not be that far off. Project Orion proposed a nuclear-powered spacecraft, while Project Breakthrough Starshot proposed sending small spacecraft to the stars. The challenges are still great, but no longer insurmountable.
Yuri Gagarin before a space flight aboard the Vostok spacecraft. April 12, 1961 Source: RIA Novosti
The human drive to explore has meant that the prospect of interstellar travel has always been the obvious next step. As the desire and technology finally begin to make this a reality, the ethical debate must also begin as we consider the complex moral implications of going out to the stars.
A fascinating article by Florian Neukart, Professor of Quantum Computing at the Institute of Computer Science in the Netherlands, focuses on exploring the multitude of different elements of interstellar travel. This includes factual aspects such as propulsion systems, habitat construction and life support, but also sociological, ethical and philosophical questions. People traveling to and exploring planets in our solar system is one thing, but imagine traveling to and arriving at a world with alien inhabitants. It may seem like science fiction, but once we start traveling across the gap between the stars, it becomes a real possibility. The paper highlights the urgent need to consider all facets of interstellar travel.
This artist's impression shows the exomoon candidate Kepler-1625b-i, the planet it orbits, and the star at the center of the star system. Kepler-1625b-i is the first exomoon candidate and, if confirmed, the first moon found outside the solar system. Like many exoplanets, Kepler-1625b-i was discovered using the transit method. Exomoons are difficult to find because they are smaller than their companion planets, their transit signal is therefore weak, and their position in the system changes with each transit due to their orbit. This requires extensive modeling and data analysis.
Among the questions raised in the work is the deeply emotional one; Given the uncertainties, should we pursue interstellar travel or could our resources be better used to address pressing Earth-bound challenges? Answering questions like these requires insights from physics, engineering, biology, ethics and social sciences.
The paper offers insights into the current technological possibilities taking into account the current theoretical framework of interstellar travel. Several possible technologies such as magnetic fusion plasma propulsion, nuclear thermal propulsion, ion propulsion, and even warp drives are discussed. Life support systems and habitat protection technology are also taken into account and discussed.
Artist's impression of a warp drive spaceship (Source: Alorin)
However, I feel that while technology will undoubtedly take us to the stars, debates about whether we should will continue for some time. One thing is certain: the many different aspects of interstellar travel must be carefully considered and taken into account and appropriate framework conditions must be created. Not only will this protect us as we extend our travels into space, but it will also protect the environment and life we encounter along the way.
Source: Towards the Stars: Technological, Ethical and Sociopolitical Dimensions of Interstellar Exploration
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