Podcast: Balancing Exploration and Use of Space Beyond Earth Orbit
Our “Beer with BMSIS” podcast for February features a conversation with Dr. Margaret Race of the SETI Institute about some of the challenges facing astrobiology and space exploration titled “More Bumps in the Road Ahead for Astrobiology?: Balancing Exploration and Use of Space Beyond Earth Orbit“.
Commercial space exploration has come along way since the days NASA’s moon landing, and commercial interests in the moon, Mars, asteroids, and other space resources must now be taken as seriously as national space exploration programs. Existing laws and treaties are limited in scope and provide unclear guidelines for how best to proceed with the exploration and utilization of space resources. Dr. Race discusses various considerations and options for future exploration, drawing from insights from history that include the Antarctic Treaty and the Law of the Sea, to discuss how existing treaties might be modified as the space age continues.