A Case for Conservation of Outer Space? Analyzing Conservation as a Policy Strategy for Protection of Lunar and Outer Space Environments

Abstract:

Mining and colonization of outer space are becoming less a science fiction fantasy and more an approaching reality each year, especially as a robust space exploration industry rapidly develops. The Moon is the first stop of these pursuits, the gateway to the solar system, and the focus of many space policy efforts due to the United States’ Artemis program. Mining of asteroids and colonization of Mars will follow mining and colonization of the Moon. As research and technology develops, scientific, government, and industry interests are becoming both increasingly differentiated and entangled. Amidst these forces, there is a concern for maintaining the integrity of lunar and outer space environments; space policy literature proposes conservation strategies as solutions to this concern. A brief historical analysis of the concept of terrestrial conservation provides a tool for deconstructing how the efficacy of a conservation program in outer space environments is dependent upon the political, socio-cultural, and economic frameworks within which we pursue space exploration. These tools from the history and philosophy of employing conservation science as an environmental protection strategy are useful for aiding policymakers to consider the nuanced responsibilities of protecting lunar and outer space environments and ensuring equity and justice as outcomes from the societal impacts of space exploration.