A list of reasons we do it that have nothing to do with, you know, space. It gets back to my theme that “exploration” is not an end in itself; it’s a means. But we have to decide what we’re trying to accomplish, and kumbaya isn’t sufficient.
4 thoughts on ““Space Exploration””
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When the Curiosity rover landed, when Juno went into orbit around Jupiter, when the Rosetta mission successfully went into orbit around a comet … my social media feeds were filled with people around the world rejoicing together.
I think the authors social media feeds are disturbingly lacking in diversity.
I totally support space exploitation. There is little to be said about the technology of being in space that can’t be said about being in, or “terraforming”, Antarctica. Both are awash in needed resources. Both are relatively hard to get to. Both are hostile environments. The difference appears to be that Antarctica poses a lesser bio-engineering challenge and a much greater political problem.
I notice one of the reasons not mentioned was founding a space based industrial empire. No one reads Heinlein any more?
Interesting article. As a piece of fluff, it shouldn’t be judged as being too BS or woo woo. Its intention was motivational and oftentimes that means ignoring reality.
Cooperation, inclusivity, dedication, and taking the larger view are present in far more industries than just government run programs. The strength of many of these scientific missions is that the people operate at a very high level of expertise, not that they are better than everyone else in general or in the criteria listed.
A better way to phrase it would be that cooperation, inclusivity, dedication, and taking the larger view allow people to perform their best, regardless of the endeavour. This would actually be inclusive in “engaging our entire population” which is something that many in the “sciences” actually despise in practice.
There are some major contradictions in the science community on being inclusive and the taking a larger view theme is far too loaded.
But without the superiority complex, there are some good themes here. Looking at those four point from a different paradigm could be useful. Is there a possibility that they can be used to persuade space based socialists to open their minds to other points of view?