The ethics of space exploration

“Space … the final frontier.”

There’s something to that opening line from “Star Trek.” It imagines space as a vast opportunity for exploration and expansion for humanity.

But students of history know that us Earthlings don’t have the best track record when it comes to colonizing and settling new territories. With humans looking to establish colonies on the moon and other planets, how do we not repeat the past?

How do we leave our earthly problems behind and create space settlements more in line with the utopian vision of “Star Trek” … rather than the despotic take in “Star Wars?”

We talk to astrophysicist Erika Nesvold about it. She’s the author of the new book “Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space.”