Michael Collins Space: The Final Frontier

“Space: the final frontier”; these iconic words from the popular TV show Star Trek were more insightful than the writers of the show knew at the time. This show, which first aired in 1966 along with many other space related books and movies, was part of a wave of interest in space travel. Since then interest in space exploration has grown even larger. The words “the final frontier” hail back to a time when settlers were rushing to explore the frontier of western North America. The rush to “settle” space has increased to a feverish rate. The evidence of this lies in the mounting public obsession with all things space and the increasing advances in technology. While it’s easy to think about the extraterrestrial in terms of actors, science fiction

Every person has to decide whether or not space travel is ethical. Either way space is a factor. In the book Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut’s Journeys by Michael Collins, the author writes, “I really believe that if the political leaders of the world could see their planet from a distance of, let’s say, 100,000 miles, their outlook would be fundamentally changed.”(Collins) This excerpt from the musings of a former astronaut provides a unique perspective on the effects that space travel could have on ethical behavior on earth. This concept would suggest that the view from space would have a dramatic effect on politics and cause the world to have a more united front. Margaret R. Mclean however advises that before rushing in to space exploration humanity should have a clear set of rules, “Despite the depths of space, it is not so limitless as to be able to weather mistreatment or suffer every demand we may place on it.” (Mclean) This caveat checks the previous assertion that space can be used for humanities needs and instead places humans in a “stewardship” (Mclean) relationship with the universe. This contrast between the ethics of Earth and the ethical way we treat space is important to recognize when discussing space