Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take

Action | Sources | More Debates

Source: Tom
Simpson, “Space Settlement, AMP Corporate commission by John Conrad Berkey, 1988,” flickr.com, Oct. 4,
2018, creative commons license
While humans have long thought of gods living in the sky, the idea of space travel or
humans living in space dates to at least 1610 after the invention of the telescope when
German astronomer Johannes Kepler wrote to Italian astronomer Galileo: “Let us create
vessels and sails adjusted to the heavenly ether, and there will be plenty of people
unafraid of the empty wastes. 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. Space fantasies flourished
after Jules Verne’s “From Earth to the Moon” was published in 1865, and again when
RKO Pictures released a film adaptation, A Trip to the Moon, in 1902. 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 Bradbury’s The Martian
Chronicles (1950). [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. After the Russians put the first person, Yuri Gagarin, in space
on Apr. 12, 1961, NASA put the first people, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, on the
Moon in July 1969. What was science fiction began to look more like possibility. Over
the next six decades, NASA would launch space stations, land rovers on Mars, fly past
Pluto, and orbit Jupiter, among other accomplishments. Launched by President Trump
in 2017, NASA’s ongoing Artemis program intends to return humans to the Moon by
2024, landing the first woman on the lunar surface. The lunar launch is more likely to
happen in 2025, due to a lag in space suit technology and delays with the Space Launch
System rocket, the Orion capsule, and the lunar lander. [5] [6] [7] [8] [36]

As of June 17, 2021, three countries had space programs with human space flight
capabilities: China, Russia, and the United States. India’s planned human space flights
have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but they may launch in 2023. However,
NASA ended its space shuttle program in 2011 when the shuttle Atlantis landed at
Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 21. 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. 23, 2021. SpaceX is a commercial space
travel business owned by Elon Musk that has ignited commercial space travel
enthusiasm and the idea of “space tourism.” Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Jeff
Bezo’s Blue Origin have generated similar excitement. [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 flight marked the first time that passengers, rather than astronauts, went
into space. [14] [15]

Jeff Bezos followed on July 20, 2021, accompanied by his brother, Mark, and both the
oldest and youngest people to go to space: 82-year-old Wally Funk, a female pilot who
tested with NASA in the 1960s but never flew, and Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old
student from the Netherlands. 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. [16] [17]

On Apr. 8, 2022, a SpaceX capsule launched, carrying three paying customers and a
former NASA astronaut on a roundtrip to the International Space Station (ISS). Mission
AX-1 docked at the ISS on Apr. 9 with former NASA astronaut, current Axiom Space
employee, and mission commander, Michael Lopez-Alegría, Israeli businessman Eytan
Stibbe, Canadian investor Mark Pathy, and American real estate magnate Larry Connor.
The group returned to Earth on Apr. 25, 2022. 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. [38] [39]

The International Space Station has been continuously occupied by groups of six
astronauts since Nov. 2000, for a total of 243 astronauts from 19 countries as of May 13,
2021. Astronauts spend an average of 182 days (about six months) aboard the ISS. 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). [18] [19] [40]
In Jan. 2022, Space Entertainment Enterprise (SEE) announced plans for a film
production studio and a sports arena in space. The module will be named SEE-1 and
will dock on Axiom Station, which is the commercial wing of the International Space
Station. SEE plans to host film and sports events, as well as content creation by Dec.
2024. [37]

In a 2018 poll, 50% of Americans believed space tourism will be routine for ordinary
people by 2068. 32% believed long-term habitable space colonies will be built by 2068.
But 58% said they were definitely or probably not interested in going to space. And the
majority (63%) stated NASA’s top priority should be monitoring Earth’s climate, while
only 18% said sending astronauts to Mars should be the highest priority and only 13%
would prioritize sending astronauts to the Moon. [20]

The most common ideas for space colonization include: settling Earth’s Moon, building
on Mars, and constructing free-floating space stations.

Should Humans Colonize Space?

Pro 1

Humans have a right and a moral duty to save our species from suffering
and extinction. Colonizing space is one method of doing so.
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. It would be
like, ‘Good news, the problems of poverty and disease have been solved, but the bad
news is there aren’t 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. Following from that premise,
Brian Patrick Green, Director of Technology Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied
Ethics at Santa Clara University, concluded, “Because space settlement gives
humankind the opportunity to significantly raise the chances of survival for our species, it
is therefore a moral imperative to settle space as quickly as possible.” [21]

Some theorists, including Gonzalo Munevar, PhD, interdisciplinary Professor Emeritus at

Lawrence Technological University, believe colonizing space will increase clean energy
on Earth, provide access to the solar system’s resources, and increase knowledge of
space and Earth. 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. To spread ourselves without
thought or care would probably result in failure: more planets spiraling toward global
warming or space settlements filled with social unrest.” [23]

Pro 2

Space colonization is the next logical step in space exploration and human
growth.
Fred Kennedy, PhD, President of Momentus, a space transportation company,
explained, “I’ll assert that a fundamental truth – repeatedly borne out by history – is that
expanding, outwardly-focused civilizations are far less likely to turn on themselves, and
far more likely to expend their fecundity on growing habitations, conducting important
research and creating wealth for their citizens. 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 hasn’t eliminated these scourges.” We shouldn’t avoid exploring
space based on the false dichotomy of fixing Earthly problems first. [24]

Humans are not a species of stagnation. Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon.com who
traveled to space in 2021, asserted that exploring space would result in expanded
human genius: “The solar system can easily support a trillion humans. And if we had a
trillion humans, we would have a thousand Einsteins and a thousand Mozarts and
unlimited, for all practical purposes, resources and solar power unlimited for all practical
purposes.” [25]

Space, in particular, is connected to exploration and growth in the human imagination. In

2014 Elon Musk stated, “It’s obvious that space is deeply ingrained in the American
psyche… SpaceX is only 12 years old now. Between now and 2040, the company’s
lifespan will have tripled. 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]

Pro 3

Technological advancement into space can exist alongside conservation

efforts on Earth.
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. Humans have time to explore and colonize
space at the same time as we mend the effects of climate change on Earth. [26]
Brian Patrick Green stated, “Furthermore, we have to realize that solving Earth’s
environmental problems is extremely difficult and so will take a very long time. 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. Doing so could reverse some of the effects of climate
change while colonizing space. [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. This would also
help preserve the rest of terrestrial life — presumably something the critics would
approve of. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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]

Con 1

Humans living in space is pure science fiction.

Briony Horgan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Planetary Science at Purdue University,
explained that terraforming Mars is “way beyond any kind of technology we’re going to
have any time soon.” [28]

In one widely promoted plan, Mars needs to first be warmed to closer to Earth’s average
temperature (from -60 °C/-76 °F to 15 °C/59 °F), which will take approximately 100
years. Then the planet must be made to produce oxygen so humans and other
mammals can breathe, which will take about 100,000 years or more. And those two
steps can only be taken once Mars is thoroughly investigated for water, carbon dioxide,
and nitrates. [29]

A 2018 NASA study concluded that, based on the levels of CO2 found on Mars, the
above plan is not feasible. Lead author Bruce Jakosky, PhD, Professor of Geological
Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder, stated, “terraforming Mars is not
possible using present-day technology.” [30]

If a workable solution were found and implemented, a project of that magnitude would
cost billions, perhaps trillions.

Billionaire Elon Musk explained that the SpaceX Mars colonization project would need
one million people to pay $200,000 each just to move to and colonize Mars, which
doesn’t include the costs incurred before humans left Earth. Returning to the Moon
would have cost an estimated $104 billion in 2005 (about $133 billion in 2019 dollars), or
almost 7 times NASA’s entire 2019 budget. [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. [32]

Further, as Linda Billings, PhD, Research Professor at George Washington University,

noted, “all life on Earth evolved to live in Earth conditions… If humans can’t figure out
how to adapt to, or arrest, changing conditions on Earth – then I can’t see how humans
could figure out how to adapt to a totally alien environment.” [23]

Con 2

Humans have made a mess of Earth. We should clean it up instead of

destroying a moon or another planet.
If humans have the technology, knowledge, and ability to transform an uninhabitable
planet, moon, or other place in space into an appealing home for humans, then surely
we have the technology, knowledge, and ability to fix the problems we’ve created on
Earth. [33]

Lori Marino, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of the Kimmela Center for Animal
Advocacy, asserted, “[W]e are not capable of enacting a successful colonization of
another planet. The fact that we have destroyed our home planet is prima facie evidence
of this assertion. It is sheer hubris to even consider the question of whether we should
‘go or not go’ as if we are deciding which movie to see this weekend because we really
are not in a position to make that choice… What objective person would hire humanity to
colonize a virgin planet, given its abysmal past performance in caring for the Earth’s
ecosystem (overpopulation, climate change, mass extinctions)?” [23]

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.

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 we’ve
created here; if we do that, we will simply bring those problems with us. We need a
major change in how we think about what it means to be human—we need to stop
seeing our species as special and start seeing it as part of a collection of species. In my
view, as long as we bring the… [idea] of human exceptionalism with us to other worlds,
we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes we have made here.” [23]

Con 3

Space is inhospitable to humans and life in space, if even possible, would be

miserable.
As novelist Andy Weir explained, “The problem is that you still don’t want to send
humans to the moon. You want to send robots. Humans are soft and squishy and they
die. Robots are hard and nobody gets upset when they die.” [34]

Bioethicist George Dvorsky summarized the hostile nature of Mars: “The Red Planet is a
cold, dead place, with an atmosphere about 100 times thinner than Earth’s. The paltry
amount of air that does exist on Mars is primarily composed of noxious carbon dioxide,
which does little to protect the surface from the Sun’s harmful rays. Air pressure on Mars
is very low; at 600 Pascals, it’s only about 0.6 percent that of Earth. You might as well
be exposed to the vacuum of space, resulting in a severe form of the bends—including
ruptured lungs, dangerously swollen skin and body tissue, and ultimately death. The thin
atmosphere also means that heat cannot be retained at the surface. The average
temperature on Mars is -81 degrees Fahrenheit (-63 degrees Celsius), with
temperatures dropping as low as -195 degrees F (-126 degrees C).” [28]

Meanwhile, lunar dust is made of shards of silica and cuts like glass. The dust clung to
the space suits of Apollo astronauts, scratching their visors and getting in their eyes and
throats, which could result in bronchitis or cancer. And the radiation on the Moon is
about 200 times higher than on Earth, in addition to other problems colonizing the Moon
would cause humans. [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. Astronauts who have spent just a year in space have demonstrated irreversible
health problems. [28] [29]

Humans haven’t even attempted to live in Antarctica or under Earth’s seas, which have
many fewer challenges for human bodies, so why would humans want to live on a planet
or on the Moon that’s likely to kill them fairly immediately? [28]

Discussion Questions
1. Should humans colonize space? Why or why not?

2. If humans were to colonize space, where should we start: Mars, Earth’s Moon, or
another celestial body? And what should be done on that body: residences,
industrialization, or another purpose? Explain your answer(s).

3. If humans were to colonize space, how could life on Earth change? And would these
changes be good or bad? Explain your answer(s).

Take Action

1. Analyze Christopher Schaberg’s position that “We’re Already Colonizing Mars.”

2. Consider the language used to talk about humans living in space with Bill Nye.

3. Explore George Dvorsky’s position that “Humans Will Never Colonize Mars.”

4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the
pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three
ways. 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.

5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US

national senators and representatives.

Sources

1. Ross Andersen, “Exodus: Elon Musk Argues That We Must Put a Million People on Mars if We Are to Ensu
2. Anne Collins Goodyear, “Space Travel Was a Dream for Artists Long before Armstrong Stepped on Moon,”
3. Authors Calendar, “Savien Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655),” authorscalendar.info (accessed July 23, 2021)
4. Mike Wright, “Article on Von Braun and Walt Disney,” nasa.gov, Aug. 3, 2017
5. Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Yuri Gagarin, “eb.com, Mar. 23, 2021
6. NASA, “July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap for Mankind,” nasa.gov, July 20, 2019
7. NASA, “60 Moments in NASA History,” nasa.gov (accessed July 26, 2021)
8. NASA, “The Birth of NASA,” nasa.gov, Mar. 28, 2008
9. Rahul Rao, “India's Human Spaceflight Plans Coming Together Despite Delays,” space.com, June 17, 2021
10. Daniel Oberhaus, “The US Hitches Its Final Ride to Space From Russia—for Now,” wired.com, Apr. 8, 2020
11. Mark Memmott, “Last Space Shuttle Lands, Ending 30-Year Era,” npr.org, July 21, 2011
12. Laurel Wamsley, “Bezos vs. Branson: The Billionaire Space Race Lifts Off,” npr.org, July 11, 2021
13. NASA, “NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 Astronauts Headed to International Space Station,” nasa.gov, Apr. 23, 202
14. Devin Coldewey, “Virgin Galactic and Richard Branson Celebrate Launch of First Passengers into Space,” te
15. Jonathan Amos, “Sir Richard Branson Takes off on 'Extraordinary' Space Flight,” bbc.com, July 11, 2021
16. Marcia Dunn, “Jeff Bezos Blasts into Space on Own Rocket: ‘Best Day Ever!,’” apnews.com, July 21, 2021
17. NASA, “Who Was Alan Shepard?,” nasa.gov, Aug. 7, 2017
18. Paul Rincon, “Christina Koch: Nasa Astronaut Sets New Female Space Record,” bbc.com, Feb. 6, 2020
19. NASA, “International Space Station Facts and Figures,” nasa.gov, May 13, 2021
20. Pew Research Center, “Majority of Americans Believe It Is Essential That the U.S. Remain a Global Leader i
21. Brian Patrick Green, “Self-Preservation Should Be Humankind’s First Ethical Priority and Therefore Rapid S
22. Gonzalo Munevar, “An Obligation to Colonize Outer Space,” sciencedirect.com, June 2019
23. Kelly C. Smith and Keith Abney, “The Great Colonization Debate,” researchgate.net, Apr. 2019
24. Fred Kennedy, “To Colonize Space or Not to Colonize: That Is the Question (For All of Us),” forbes.com, D
25. Matthias Döpfner, “Jeff Bezos Reveals What It's Like to Build an Empire — and Why He's Willing to Spend
businessinsider.com, Apr. 28, 2018
26. Robert Matthews, “When Will Earth Become Uninhabitable?,” sciencefocus.com (accessed July 27, 2021)
27. Joe Mascaro, “To Save Earth, Go to Mars,” aeon.com, May 11, 2016
28. George Dvorsky, “Humans Will Never Colonize Mars,” gizmodo.com, July 30, 2019
29. Matt Williams, “The Future of Space Colonization -- Terraforming or Space Habitats?,” phys.org, Mar. 10, 2
30. NASA Mars Exploration Program, “Mars Terraforming Not Possible Using Present-Day Technology,” mars.
31. April Glaser, “Elon Musk Will Need One Million Mars Colonists to Get the Ticket Price down to $200,000,”
32. Dave Mosher, "NASA Says It Needs a $1.6 Billion 'Down Payment' from Congress to Send Astronauts Back
33. Sarah Fecht, “Stephen Hawking Says We Have 100 Years to Colonize a New Planet-- Or Die. Could We Do
34. Eric Niiler, “Are Moon Colonies Possible — or the Fantasy of Billionaires?,” onezero.com, July 30, 2018
35. Shannon Hall, “The Moon Is a Hazardous Place to Live,” nytimes.com, July 8, 2019
36. James Doubek, "NASA Wants to Return to the Moon by 2024, but the Spacesuits Won't Be Ready," npr.org,
37. Catherine Shoard, "Film Studio in Space Planned for 2024," theguardian.com, Jan. 20, 2022
38. Jackie Wattles, "A SpaceX Tourism Mission Just Arrived at the ISS. Here’s Everything You Need to Know,"
39. Associated Press, "The 1st Private Astronaut Mission to International Space Station Is Back on Earth," npr.or
40. Jasmine Wright, "Harris Congratulates NASA Astronaut Who Spent Record 355 Days in Space," cnn.com, A
More Science Debate Topics

Can Alternative Energy Effectively Replace Fossil Fuels? – The pros and cons of
the alternative and renewable energies debate include arguments for and against solar,
wind, and nuclear powers.

Is Artificial Intelligence Good for Society? – Proponents say artificial intelligence can
improve workplace safety. Opponents say AI poses dangerous privacy risks.

Is the Internet “Making Us Stupid”? – Proponents say the internet is reprogramming

our brains. Opponents say technophobia fuels debates about the internet making us
stupid.

 HOME
 ABOUT
 CITE THIS PAGE
 REPRINTING POLICY
 PRIVACY POLICY
 DISCLAIMER

Contact Us
ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200
Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA

Natalie Leppard
Managing Editor
procon@eb.com