Elon Musk’s SpaceX expedition to colonise Mars will undoubtedly change the world of space exploration forever, no longer will living on another planet be limited to science fiction. This leap forward in the survival of humans as a species comes with it a plethora of ethical issues that surround sending humans to Mars. The most obvious issue at this current point in time is human emigration, which is currently the only perceivable way to colonise Mars within the next 20 years. This poses one very important question, is it ethical to send the first pioneers on a high risk expedition for the benefit of multi planetary colonisation?
“Are you prepared to die? If that’s okay, then you’re a candidate for going (to Mars)” (Elon Musk). Human colonisation …show more content…
The first humans on Mars will undoubtedly feel a sense of social and physical isolation, studies have shown that prolonged isolation will lead to depression, anxiety, physical fatigue, and emotional instability. In addition to this, these studies have been undertaken on individuals who have an exact date of return to Earth, so implications on humans who do not have this assurance is still unknown. This will unquestionably create a need for a direct and constant link to humans on Earth with access to mental health services. Confinement is another hurdle for those living on Mars, as mentioned previously astronauts will be living in a submarine like enclosure to ensure they are able to survive. It is likely that the living space of colonists will be roughly the size of two bedrooms (50sqm pp). This confinement has been proven to have a number of mental health implications, similar to the effects of isolation. For children being born and raised in this environment, it is expected that they will develop an abnormally high level of fear, and ironically a reduction in desire to explore. Finally, colonists will have to surrender the idea of privacy. Once on Mars colonists will be monitored 24/7, not only to ensure that the project is running smoothly, but also it is likely that images will be publicly shared to raise awareness and interest in the expedition. It has been proven that this type of observation can lead to added stress, and fatigue. Compounded with the effects of isolation and confinement the mental health implications of this expedition will be unprecedented. As the total inherent risks involved in this journey are so high, it poses the question of whether sending humans into an environment that is essentially inhabitable is morally
“Are you prepared to die? If that’s okay, then you’re a candidate for going (to Mars)” (Elon Musk). Human colonisation …show more content…
The first humans on Mars will undoubtedly feel a sense of social and physical isolation, studies have shown that prolonged isolation will lead to depression, anxiety, physical fatigue, and emotional instability. In addition to this, these studies have been undertaken on individuals who have an exact date of return to Earth, so implications on humans who do not have this assurance is still unknown. This will unquestionably create a need for a direct and constant link to humans on Earth with access to mental health services. Confinement is another hurdle for those living on Mars, as mentioned previously astronauts will be living in a submarine like enclosure to ensure they are able to survive. It is likely that the living space of colonists will be roughly the size of two bedrooms (50sqm pp). This confinement has been proven to have a number of mental health implications, similar to the effects of isolation. For children being born and raised in this environment, it is expected that they will develop an abnormally high level of fear, and ironically a reduction in desire to explore. Finally, colonists will have to surrender the idea of privacy. Once on Mars colonists will be monitored 24/7, not only to ensure that the project is running smoothly, but also it is likely that images will be publicly shared to raise awareness and interest in the expedition. It has been proven that this type of observation can lead to added stress, and fatigue. Compounded with the effects of isolation and confinement the mental health implications of this expedition will be unprecedented. As the total inherent risks involved in this journey are so high, it poses the question of whether sending humans into an environment that is essentially inhabitable is morally