MYTH | Space Exploration and Environmental Preservation cannot coexist.

Space exploration efforts are not going to pause while humanity attempts to mitigate and manage Climate Change. We can waste our time and energy trying to stop a rapidly moving train, or we help ensure that those efforts don’t come at the expense of the Earth’s vitality.

This is a call to all the space explorers and guardians of the Earth. If you care about the future (and present) of humanity and this precious planet we call home, we invite you to be part of the solution.

Humans have always been, and always will be, explorers.

Humans have been polluting our environment since the early 1800s during the Industrial Revolution. More recently, this destructive behavior is extending off the planet. The destruction to Earth’s atmosphere from fossil fueled rockets and the large amounts of space debris surrounding Earth are a powerful example of that.

This behavior has often been housed under the guise and perceived grandeur of “progress”, with little regard for the negative impact on our natural environment.

However, as our technology continues to advance, two things are happening.

1. Through Earth observation (EO) technology, we are now able to see how human behavior is affecting the Earth, allowing us to begin to correct that behavior through awareness and accountability.
2. We are figuring out new methods of propulsion that will eventually help us work our way out of dependency on the finite and destructive fossil fuels of this planet.

Some aspects of space exploration have certainly had a negative effect on our planet and others, and for that reason, appears to be antithetical to environmental preservation. However, that perspective simply perpetuates the problems. Until we agree that they are two sides of the same coin, the threats to space exploration and to Earth will persist.

Astronauts have returned from space having experienced the Overview Effect, realizing our innate interconnectedness and the importance of caring for our planet. There is now a global movement to “bring the Overview Effect down to Earth,” creating a societal shift similar to that experienced by individual space travelers.

This isn’t a black and white, right or wrong situation. It’s a function of how complex systems behave and the challenge of changing their behavior. It requires us to have some “courageous conversations”. As T.S. Eliot posited, this exploration could allow us to “know the place for the first time”. And that seems like exactly what we need right now.

“I hope people will come to understand that space exploration is not about escaping Earth but is about coming to appreciate her more fully.”

Frank White - Space Philosopher, author of The Overview Effect, President of the Human Space Program

The Human Space Program was created to inspire conscious space migration and ensure the sustainable, ethical, and inclusive stewardship of the solar ecosystem.

As we continue to migrate off-planet, our commitment to preserving the vitality of Earth must also consider the larger ecosystem in which it belongs. The solar ecosystem is our true environment.

“As environmentalists, we can either sit on the other side of the fence and throw stones, or we can choose to facilitate a better conversation and be part of the solution.”

Jared Angaza - Strategist, Activist, Executive Director of the Human Space Program

This is a call to all the space explorers and the guardians of the Earth. If you care about the future (and present) of humanity and this precious planet we call home, we invite you to join the conversation and be part of the solution.

When we need to navigate complexity or conflict, it helps to draw closer and have a better discussion. It’s difficult to throw stones when you are face to face. Coming closer opens up the conversation and makes space for new solutions that were previously unavailable to us.

Participate

Here are some ways you can join the conversation and participate in creating new solutions.

1. Join the Space for the Environment Council by emailing us here and telling us why you care about this effort and how you will add to the conversation.
2. Contribute your wisdom to help us answer the questions below. Email us here.
3. Leverage your position of influence and/or organization to help elevate this conversation and solicit broader participation. Email us here.
4. Become a financial sponsor to fund this effort. All donations are tax deductible. Email us here to discuss the details.
5. We are working toward hosting several panel discussions on the stage (literal and virtual). If you’d like to support this effort, please email us here.

We are welcoming in a handful of Corporate Sponsors to fund, promote, and participate in this effort. If you are interested in participating at this level, please email us here.

If you have other ideas of how to support this effort, we’d be happy to hear your thoughts!

Email us here.

Some Big Questions We’re Asking

1. What are the top five space companies poised to create the most space traffic over the next decade?
2. What propellant do they use now and what are the environmental implications?
3. What impact does the production of their spacecraft have on the environment?
4. What are they doing to continually diminish their overall impact on the environment now, and in the future?
5. What is their current perspective on the impact of space exploration on the environment, and what do they hope for?
6. What is the potential effect of Large-Scale Space Migration (LSSM) on the carrying capacity of Earth?
7. How can space exploration and environmental preservation communities best work together to ensure “sustainable, ethical, inclusive stewardship of the solar ecosystem”?

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