Ethical Considerations in Astronautical Endeavours
Introductory Remarks Marco C. Bernasconi The OURS Foundation, Switzerland Paper IAA-95-IAA.8.1.01 presented at the XLVI International Congress of Astronautics, in Oslo (Norway),October 1995 Introduction Ethics is not a scientific discipline, but part of philosophy, and the philosophers even after three thousand years of inquiry have not managed to develop a method for ascertaining which of their many statements are – if not true – at least truly relevant for this Universe. Therefore, turning to ethics to obtain a guide for future-oriented action, one just opens the floodgates for a profusion of arguments and counter-arguments, and for being submerged by a [...]
Considering the Universe
Contribution by Dr. Marco C. Bernasconi The progress of the astronomical sciences has constantly opened new horizons to the humanity’s culture, not only by the discovery of new celestial objects, but mainly by showing the real dimensions of the Universe. In recent times, astronautical techniques have contributed substantially to the cosmic research effort, to the point that science has been advanced as the primary reason for spaceflight. In reality, although astronautics and astronomy have a common origin in the human drive to explore and to penetrate the mysteries of the heavens, this is not the case. The scientific research aimed [...]
The OUR-Space Peace Sculpture Project
Introducing a Cultural Dimension into the Space Environment Arthur R. Woods – Artist, Founder and President of the OURS Project. Member: I.A.A.A., I.S.A.S.T. Marco C. Bernasconi – OURS Vice President – Technical, Member: FBIS, A.I.A.A. Paper IAA-89-673 Presented at the 40th Congress of the International Astronautical Federation October 7-13, 1989 / Torremolinos, Spain Abstract Recent developments concerning the commercial use of outer space have made it possible for cultural events to take place in the space environment which can be seen and experienced by much of the world’s population. The opportunity to communicate to the global audience as well as [...]
More Space or More War?
The main point of this article is about the use of space technologies either for peace or for war and how that choice may influence the implementation of The Space Option. Simply stated, humanity must soon make a choice between “more space” or “more war”. At a very early age I became aware of the “cosmic choice” which is inherent in space technology illustrated in this image. A Redstone mobile guided ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead is pictured in the photo on the left. In the right photo we see the lift-off of the Mercury-Redstone carrying the Alan Shepard, [...]
Making Cosmic Choices
If one believes that other technological civilizations have appeared throughout the Cosmos, then one can speculate they must have faced a similar choice that confronts humanity at this particular moment in its history. Did these distant civilizations decide to use their technology and knowledge to extend their civilization beyond their home planet in order to perpetuate their species, or did they misuse their technology and knowledge and let their civilization decline and their future be destroyed? This situation is called the Cosmic Choice – a decision which any technological species must make about its future at a critical point in [...]
The Space Option: An Alternative to War
Arthur R. Woods Here on Earth, human civilization has reached such a point in its development where it has evolved the means to leave its home planet and to begin operating in the environment beyond the atmosphere. Optimistically, this development would enable humanity to utilize this technological capability to harness the infinite resources located off Earth to improve the well-being of the population in the decades and centuries ahead – both on Earth and beyond. On the other hand, this same capability could also be used to exert tyrannical control over much of the population thereby limiting [...]
Introductory Remarks Marco C. Bernasconi The OURS Foundation, Switzerland Paper IAA-95-IAA.8.1.01 presented at the XLVI International Congress of Astronautics, in Oslo (Norway),October 1995 Introduction Ethics is not a scientific discipline, [...]
Contribution by Dr. Marco C. Bernasconi The progress of the astronomical sciences has constantly opened new horizons to the humanity’s culture, not only by the discovery of new celestial objects, [...]
Introducing a Cultural Dimension into the Space Environment Arthur R. Woods – Artist, Founder and President of the OURS Project. Member: I.A.A.A., I.S.A.S.T. Marco C. Bernasconi – OURS Vice President [...]
The main point of this article is about the use of space technologies either for peace or for war and how that choice may influence the implementation of The Space [...]
If one believes that other technological civilizations have appeared throughout the Cosmos, then one can speculate they must have faced a similar choice that confronts humanity at this particular moment [...]
Arthur R. Woods Here on Earth, human civilization has reached such a point in its development where it has evolved the means to leave its home planet [...]
