Humanity’s Space Frontier: Implications, Practicalities, and Ethical Issues

Dr. Christopher R. Cassell

March 19, 2017

Our technological civilization enriches our lives in many ways, yet cannot be sustained much longer on the Earth. We have despoiled the Earth and depleted its resources, and our population has expanded almost to the breaking point. Would human expansion into space allow us to “have our cake and eat it too”; i.e., permit continuance of our technological civilization while allowing the Earth to return to a more natural state? Perhaps, or is this just escapism and science fiction? Also, given our poor stewardship of the Earth, what gives us the right to expand our carnage into the wider cosmos? Let’s explore these issues.

Chris’ education includes a B.A. in Physics from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences from UC, San Diego, and he has worked his career as an aerospace engineer. He is a co-founder and the astrodynamics lead of Deep Space Industries, Inc. (http://deepspaceindustries.com/), a company which intends to harvest the resources (notably water) of near-Earth asteroids for use in space, and thereby help bootstrap a viable space economy. Chris is also a board member of the Ethical Culture Society of Silicon Valley.

Click here for the slides that were shown during the presentation.