Ethics and the Potential Conflicts between Astrobiology, Planetary Protection, and Commercial Use of Space
A high standard of planetary protection is important for astrobiology, though the risk for contamination can never be zero. It is therefore important to find a balance. If extraterrestrial life has a moral standing in its own right, it will also affect what we have to do to protect it. The questions...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2017-05-01
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| Series: | Challenges |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/8/1/12 |
| _version_ | 1817968460896927744 |
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| author | Erik Persson |
| author_facet | Erik Persson |
| author_sort | Erik Persson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A high standard of planetary protection is important for astrobiology, though the risk for contamination can never be zero. It is therefore important to find a balance. If extraterrestrial life has a moral standing in its own right, it will also affect what we have to do to protect it. The questions of how far we need to go to protect extraterrestrial life will be even more acute and complicated when the time comes to use habitable worlds for commercial purposes. There will also be conflicts between those who want to set a world aside for more research and those who want to give the green light for development. I believe it is important to be proactive in relation to these issues. The aim of my project is therefore to identify, elucidate, and if possible, suggest solutions to potential conflicts between astrobiology, planetary protection, and commercial use of space. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T20:09:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c12b90c213b84095a5e70827234d6a6e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2078-1547 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T20:09:16Z |
| publishDate | 2017-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Challenges |
| spelling | doaj.art-c12b90c213b84095a5e70827234d6a6e2022-12-22T02:31:54ZengMDPI AGChallenges2078-15472017-05-01811210.3390/challe8010012challe8010012Ethics and the Potential Conflicts between Astrobiology, Planetary Protection, and Commercial Use of SpaceErik Persson0Center of Theological Inquiry, 50 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ 08540, USAA high standard of planetary protection is important for astrobiology, though the risk for contamination can never be zero. It is therefore important to find a balance. If extraterrestrial life has a moral standing in its own right, it will also affect what we have to do to protect it. The questions of how far we need to go to protect extraterrestrial life will be even more acute and complicated when the time comes to use habitable worlds for commercial purposes. There will also be conflicts between those who want to set a world aside for more research and those who want to give the green light for development. I believe it is important to be proactive in relation to these issues. The aim of my project is therefore to identify, elucidate, and if possible, suggest solutions to potential conflicts between astrobiology, planetary protection, and commercial use of space.http://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/8/1/12n/a |
| spellingShingle | Erik Persson Ethics and the Potential Conflicts between Astrobiology, Planetary Protection, and Commercial Use of Space Challenges n/a |
| title | Ethics and the Potential Conflicts between Astrobiology, Planetary Protection, and Commercial Use of Space |
| title_full | Ethics and the Potential Conflicts between Astrobiology, Planetary Protection, and Commercial Use of Space |
| title_fullStr | Ethics and the Potential Conflicts between Astrobiology, Planetary Protection, and Commercial Use of Space |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ethics and the Potential Conflicts between Astrobiology, Planetary Protection, and Commercial Use of Space |
| title_short | Ethics and the Potential Conflicts between Astrobiology, Planetary Protection, and Commercial Use of Space |
| title_sort | ethics and the potential conflicts between astrobiology planetary protection and commercial use of space |
| topic | n/a |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/8/1/12 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT erikpersson ethicsandthepotentialconflictsbetweenastrobiologyplanetaryprotectionandcommercialuseofspace |