I agree with the piece on this: there are risks as we enter space. We must solve them! But IMO the piece is not a real ethics argument since it weighs only risks, not benefits, & the arguments fall short of justifying th claim that forcing ppl to stay on Earth is pragmatic & good
https://twitter.com/AlinaUtrata/status/1415316837177376775
I would argue it this way instead: we can't pragmatically keep the cat in the box (considering global realpolitik) even if it were good to do so. But it isn't good to do so, becoz the benefits vastly outweigh the risks & becoz the risks are inherently solvable. Therefore,...
...the best way forward--indeed the only pragmatic way forward--is for nations that value ethics (as imperfect as we are) to do the *best we can* in leading ethically and proactively, so we are operating from the best possible position to create a good outcome. But that means...
...that Western nations (whatever you may think about them is irrelevant) need corporations and economic markets to succeed in their role or we are out of the game, unable to work toward a good outcome in space. That means...
...companies need business models that can profit, i.e., can create more value than is invested into them. BTW, NASA embraces the goal of helping commercial ventures in space become successful so NASA's exploration will be sustainable. nasa.gov/feature/nasas-…
A few years ago when Charlie Bolden was NASA administrator, he remarked that it will be impossible for NASA to do Mars missions unless the game is somehow changed, because NASA does not get enough taxpayer funding to do Mars missions (considering its risk profile, methods etc)...
Since then, NASA documents have described a strategy to change the game to make Mars possible. A key component is relying on the private sector to create an off-Earth economy, to support infrastructure so NASA doesn't have to pay for everything in space. nasa.gov/sites/default/… 
Considering these realities, I argue (along with the vast majority of people that I know in the space sector) that the best approach (arguably the *only* ethical approach) is to be proactive in developing the off-Earth economy while working hard to ensure it will be good for all.
Drats, I broke the thread. Here is the missing tweet:
https://twitter.com/DrPhiltill/status/1415781582347161606?s=20
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