The Cosmos is Waiting for us to Explore. But we Should Choose our Path Wisely.

If you were Captain of the first USS Enterprise, where would you go!? Humanity is on the cusp of reaching out among the stars, maybe not just yet, nor in our lifetimes but it is just around the corner cosmologically speaking. A new paper explores the new technology that could make it a reality but also carefully considers the ethical aspects. Before we make the first journeys we need to be clear about the ethical considerations too so that our exploration is sustainable and responsible.

In 1961 Yuri Gagarin completed the first human spaceflight. In the decades that followed human visitors arrived on the Moon and countless probes have visited the planets. Exploring the stars is a challenge of another level but with theoretical concepts like nuclear propulsion and even warp drive it may not be so far away. Project Orion proposed nuclear powered spacecraft while Project Breakthrough Starshot proposed sending small spacecraft to the stars. The challenges are still vast but no longer insurmountable. 

The human drive for exploration has meant the prospect of interstellar travel has always been the obvious next step. As the desire and technology finally start to make this a reality, the ethical debate must also begin as we consider the complex moral implications as we step out among the stars. 

In a fascinating paper authored by Florian Neukart, Professor of Quantum Computing from the Institute of Computer Science in the Netherlands, the focus is to explore the multitude of different elements to interstellar travel. This includes factual elements such as propulsion systems, habitat construction and life support and also sociological, ethical and philosophical issues too. Humans travelling to and exploring planets in our Solar System is one thing but just imagine travelling to and arriving at a world with alien inhabitants. Seems perhaps the stuff of science fiction but once we start travelling across the gulf between the stars, it becomes a real possibility. The paper underlines the deep need to consider all facets of interstellar travel. 

Among the questions posed by the paper is the deeply emotive; Should we pursue interstellar travel given the unknowns, or might our resources be better spent addressing urgent Earth-bound challenges? To answer questions like this demands insights from physics, engineering, biology, ethics and social sciences.

The paper includes insight into the current technological capabilities in consideration of the current theoretical frameworks of interstellar travel. It discusses multiple possible technologies such as the Magnetic Fusion Plasma Drive, nuclear thermal propulsion, ion drives and even warp drives. Life support systems and habitat protection technology are also considered and discussed. 

I feel however that, whilst the technology will undoubtedly get us to the stars, the debates about whether we should will continue for some time. One thing is for sure, the many different aspects of interstellar travel must be carefully weighed up and considered with suitable frameworks being established. Not only will this protect us as we extend our travels into deep space but it will protect environments and life that we come across along the way.

Source : Toward the stars: Technological, ethical, and sociopolitical dimensions of interstellar exploration

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