With private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin racing for space colonization, if we do not have any global code of conduct or some legal framework regarding space, we are calling for enormous conflicts in near future
So, why is it critical now to have a proper governance framework for space colonization?
In theory, the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which is the present foundation of extraterrestrial governance and a significant historical milestone, does address this question.
For instance, the Outer Space Treaty prohibits nations from claiming sovereignty over the Moon or other celestial bodies, but it is silent on whether private companies are allowed to mine or otherwise remove natural resources.
Then again, while the treaty prohibits nations from claiming celestial bodies, it also does not give any authority with jurisdiction over space, most significantly, the Moon.
And with more private companies wishing to mine the Moon for minerals and even use it as a launchpad for missions to Mars, the lack of a legal framework will become a bigger obstacle for the private space industry.
The Outer Space Treaty also addresses this issue, which is the problem of governance within early colonies.
So, what might a working framework of governance in an early colony really look like?
Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, has proposed direct democracy as a governance system for a future Mars colony, in which all colonists directly exercise law-making authority rather than choosing representatives to legislative bodies.
For instance, the colonists would have to adopt a direct democratic system, and non-democratic countries interested in space colonization, such as China, are unlikely to do so since they reject democracy here on Earth.
There is no real direct democracy in the world today, thus there is no reason to believe that any future space colony of any magnitude could be one.
Now, if direct democracy isn’t a viable alternative for governance, should early colonies proceed oppositely by adopting some type of authoritarian structure to simply get things done?
However, in early colonies, authoritarianism is unlikely to be a sustainable governance framework.
So, Do you think that space colonization governance should be a global priority even today before colonization is technologically viable?
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