- Email: [email protected]
Political and legal challenges in a Mars colony
Space Policy xxx (2016) 1e3
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Space Policy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/spacepol
Viewpoint
Political and legal challenges in a Mars colony Konrad Szocik a, *, Kateryna Lysenko-Ryba b, Sylwia Banas c, Sylwia Mazur d a
Department of Cognitive Science, University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland Chair of Process Engineering, University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland c Chair of Administrative Law, University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland d Institute for Researches on Civilizations, University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland b
a r t i c l e i n f o
a b s t r a c t
Article history: Received 18 March 2016 Accepted 25 May 2016 Available online xxx
In our essay we are going to briefly discuss some legal and political questions associated with the future colonization of Mars which is now being planned by NASA and the second one is known as Project MarsOne. We assume that it will be unclear as to which legal and political solutions could work in the new Martian ecological niche. Here we will show that this issue requires more attention because we unable to predict which elements of human nature will dominate the lives of the Mars colonizers. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Mars Colonization Legal system
1. Introduction The exploration and colonization of other cosmic places seems to be the next stage of human development. NASA is preparing for deep space missions to Mars.1 The European Space Agency (ESA) mentions the opportunity to launch permanent bases on the Moon.2 These expansions have various motives. One of them is outlined by Elon Musk, who suggests sending one million people to Mars because the future existence of humanity on the Earth is threatened.3 In this context the idea of the colonization of outer space is interpreted as a unique possibility for the survival of the humanity. Expected future dangers on the Earth are perhaps a good reason to really think about moving human life to Mars. Another reason is associated with the human ability to expand. Humans have settled in all ecological niches on the Earth despite very different and difficult conditions for life. This outer space
* Corresponding author. University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland, Department of Cognitive Science, Sucharskiego 2 Street, 35-225 w, Poland. Rzeszo E-mail addresses: [email protected] (K. Szocik), [email protected]. pl (K. Lysenko-Ryba), [email protected] (S. Banas), [email protected] (S. Mazur). 1 NASA’s Journey to Mars. Pioneering next steps in space exploration, NASA, Washington 2015. 2 http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2016/02/ESA_Euronews_Moon_ Village. 3 http://www.outerplaces.com/science/item/9914-elon-musk-s-plans-forsending-1-million-people-to-mars-for-500-000-each.
expansion could be a good backdrop and provide a catalyst for highly advanced developments in the fields of technology and science. Deep space missions could be a good place for testing new solutions. Astronauts who will be sent on deep space missions will be under intensive selective pressure. This pressure theoretically could affect the path of future human evolution. How to predict behaviors and reactions of human body and psyche on Mars? Now we can study it on The International Space Station. Its microgravitational environment enables testing of the human organism. However, we cannot predict the cultural evolution of Martian politics, society and it’s legal system. We have found some ethical and cultural issues4 as well as the problematic nature of cooperation in such a difficult environment.5 In this paper we will be focusing on some particular questions associated with the possible political, social and legal challenges faced by a future Mars colony. The question of the long journey to Mars seems to be a very hard challenge for these astronauts. It is not clear how long this journey will take or how long the first mission will last.6 The distance between these two planets is from 55 million to ca. 100 million km
4 K. Szocik, Unseen challenges in a Mars colony, Spaceflight, January 2016, Vol 58, pp. 20e23. 5 K. Szocik, Etyczne i polityczne problemy kolonizacji Marsa, Astronomia, nr 45, marzec 2016, pp. 28e29. 6 http://www.mars-one.com/faq/mission-to-mars/how-long-does-it-take-totravel-to-mars (15.02.16).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2016.05.012 0265-9646/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Please cite this article in press as: K. Szocik, et al., Political and legal challenges in a Mars colony, Space Policy (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.spacepol.2016.05.012
2
K. Szocik et al. / Space Policy xxx (2016) 1e3
dependently on their orbital position.7 Such a long journey could prove to be fatal, not only due to the high risk of technical breakdowns or malfunctions, but also due to physiological and psychological strength of our astronauts. What will be the astronauts’ behaviors during this long journey? We suggest that we cannot compare these future missions with current missions on International Space Station (ISS). We can study the human body after a one year space mission: Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko completed their one year mission on the International Space on the 2nd March of 2016. However, the mental and emotional reactions will be more difficult to measure and compare. These first astronauts will be aware that after the almost one year journey they will have to live on Mars for at least several years or probably their entire lives due to the fact that their return will most likely be technologically impossible. Perhaps these first colonizers will know that their mission is a „one way ticket”. The MarsOne project is going to send the first astronauts to Mars in 2027. In the following two years crews will be sent to enlarge the Martian colony.8 However, it is difficult to predict the impact of such a long journey on human health and the effects of long term exposure to the Martian micrgravitational environment. Some researchers suggest placing the crew into a coma before the journey. Other suggest removing the appendix to avoid great dangers.9 Another troublesome question is possibility of the death of a crew member during the journey. It seems that neither leaving the corpse in space nor its removal outside is a good solution. We would also like to underline some ethical questions. It is not easy to predict the behaviors of astronauts confinded in a small permanently sealed spacecraft during their journey and what problems or conflicts they will encounter and how they resolve them. We suggest that it will not easy to find astronauts who are without any conflicts of interests such as politics, religion, or outlook. Is it possible that the small space of the spacecraft will increase probability of aggression among the astronauts? To avoid these dangers the environmental conditions should be similar to the Earth conditions. The first challenge is the optimal selection of astronauts, especially in the context of their social abilities10. In this context it is worth bearing in mind that these astronauts will be aware of the fact that they will be unable to return to the Earth at least a number of years. It is not clear how this awareness will affect their psyche and behavior. Will it cause aggression, defection or perhaps depression? On the one side, the colonization of Mars will greatly effect technological and scientific progresses. On the other we can assume that this progress may require the death of astronauts that may not survive this journey. Another question is the justification of such a monumental financial commitment for this deep space mission program which has such a high risk of failure. What possible potential benefits could justify the high risk of the death and the great expense? Even in the case of the success of this mission, this human colony will consist of only a few people. Is it worth it to undertake this program for only this small group? If the further of life on the Earth is threatened, perhaps it would be better to focus on increasing the chances of survival on the Earth and for preventing the climate change. Consider another question. What will be the legal status of the Mars colony? We can find in the 1967 “United Nations Treaty on
7 http://odkrywcy.pl/kat,111402,title,Na-Marsa-w-39-dni-a-nawet rocej,wid,14386894,wiadomosc.html?smg4sticaid ¼ 6167b5. 8 http://www.cnbc.com/2015/03/26/the-millionaire-offering-a-one-way-ticketto-mars.html. 9 http://www.astrotime.ru/mars_oneway.html. 10 http://www.astrotime.ru/flight_mars.html.
Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies”, that the outer space and all Solar System bodies are free for research for all countries without any discrimination. The outer space and its objects cannot be appropriated by any country. We can find also the idea of planetary protection which assumes that interplanetary missions should avoid the risk of “harmful contamination”.11 In this context it is worth bearing in mind “Mars Special Regions” which involves regions where theoretically some now unidentified forms of life could exist.12 We mean not only the special protection of some parts of Mars but also the question of possible conflicts of interests between different countries which could be interested in Mars exploration. Could we look for analogy in the conquest of the North Pole? The spacecraft will be the property of the country which will take a control over this spacecraft and its crew. Lets assume however, that this first spacecraft will have an international status. Which law will be obliged for the crew and consequently which legal system will be obliged for Martian colony? We can assume that there will be prepared a new legal system. However, what about the conflict of interests of some countries, their impact on the legal regulations? How to prepare a new legal system before preparing the colony in such particular ecological niche? The legal system is the result of complex social process which is influenced by many various factors. Living on Mars will be characterized by high levels of stress and existential anxiety and uncertainty. It seems that the terrestrial legal systems cannot be applied into Martian environment. The next generations of colonizers can create specific legal norms which will be compatible with Martian limit situations. These legal systems will be easily applied at the level of small group. The more and complex group, the more difficult social and legal organization which can require an authority to create and to protect the law. Effective law is a regulator of human conflicts. In this context it is worth to remember that the natural human feature is a tendency to take an advantage over others.13 We suppose that other theoretically troublesome question could be the relationship between the Earth metropolis and the Martian colony. We will find for the first time in the human history that the Earth will be the owner of an extraterrestrial colony. Is it possible that colonizers will want to achieve independence? What will the metropolis do in this case? Is it possible to cut off supplies? Can we predict or exclude the risk of conflict on Mars? In the case of a Martian rebellion is it possible and profitable to destroy colony? In the case of an independent colony what will be the relationship between The Earth and Mars? We assume that the future Martian law should also include these questions. For instance, in a conflict situation which part of conflict will be supported by the Earth? It will be possible to accept conflict migrants on the Earth? We suppose that the Martian legal system will be one of the most important challenges because the new Martian environment
11 stw w zakresie badan i uzytkowania _ Układ o zasadach działalnosci pan _ przestrzeni kosmicznej ła˛ cznie z Ksie˛ zycem i innymi ciałami niebieskimi, sporza˛ dzony w Moskwie, Londynie i Waszyngtonie dnia 27 stycznia 1967 r. (Dz.U. 1968 nr 14 poz. 82)Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (RES 2222 (XXI)). 12 Rettberg Petra, Anesio Alexandre M., Baker Victor R., Baross John A., Cady Sherry L., Detsis Emmanouil, Foreman Christine M., Hauber Ernst, Ori Gian Gabriele, Pearce David A., Renno Nilton O., Ruvkun Gary, Sattler Birgit, Saunders Mark P., Smith David H., Wagner Dirk, and Westall Frances. Planetary Protection and Mars Special RegionsdA Suggestion for Updating the Definition, Astrobiology. February 2016, 16(2): 120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1472. 13 K. Szocik, Roots of self-domestication, Science, 28 November 2014, Vol 346 Issue 6213, pp. 1067.
Please cite this article in press as: K. Szocik, et al., Political and legal challenges in a Mars colony, Space Policy (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.spacepol.2016.05.012
K. Szocik et al. / Space Policy xxx (2016) 1e3
and difficult living conditions can generate conflicts. Is it possible that the social evolution of the new Martian colony will repeat the same evolutionary patterns as human evolution of the Earth? Is it possible for the development of a social hierarchy on Mars? What about a struggle for power? What about the economical system? We suppose that natural stage of the evolution of the Martian colony will be exchange of goods and services. It seems that the most probable economical solution will be the barter system. However, in the context of the difficult conditions of life we can suppose that the Martian “struggle for existence” could have even greater brutal nature because everyone tends to survival, especially in such specific conditions. In the context of biological evolution through natural selection we can ask which traits will be the best adaptations and which kind of individuals will be more the fit? Which kinds of behavioral features will be favored in the Martian environment? Cooperation or defection? It is worth remembering that natural selection on the lower level of competition, in - group, favors rather defectors than cooperators. On the level of in-group selection favors egoists not altruists. The population of altruists is favored only on the level of inter - group relations. Of course, inter group relations will not be possible in a Mars colony which will only include a small group. In this context we can predict that according to the nature of natural selection this small group will favor egoists rather than altruists. We also find another important question: an attitude of colonizers towards the inhabitants of the Earth. It seems obvious that generations born on Mars can have other approach than first colonizers from the Earth. Generations born on Mars will require specific pedagogical model. We suppose that a good cultural tool could be a new Martian religion. We know what role was played by religious beliefs and religion on the Earth.14 Such Martian religion should underline the sense and purpose of this mission, especially by the justification of the difficult conditions of life. The strategic role of this religion would be the strengthening of cooperation and the feeling of existential and social sense of life. 2. Conclusions Living on Mars will be existentially limit situation. The new Martian colony will need not only the same cultural and social tools
3
as in human evolution on the Earth. The new ecological niche will require specific solutions. Of course, we dispose only our terrestrial experience. How much we can take from these experiences? It seems that we cannot find the strict analogy between human evolution on the Earth and the future evolution on Mars. Living on Mars will require the artificial support for life. The small group of the first colonizers will have highly advanced technologies and the awareness that their life is constantly threatened. How to organize the human life in such specific environmental conditions? Which values will be the most important and dominant? What will be the human behaviors in such crisis situations? As we mentioned above natural selection on the level of small group favors rather egoists than altruism. In this context the Martian colonizers could overcome the biological processes associated with the relationship between the group size and tendency to altruism? First of all, we cannot predict the evolution of human psyche. Perhaps in these environment high levels of stress will cause fear, aggression and a tendency to conflict situations. In this context, how to design the law and social organization? We claim that human beings are not evolutionally adapted to colonize cosmic environments. Technological barriers between humans and their environment can be insufficient in the case of the Martian colony. Intensive selective pressure appropriate for the Martian environment probably rather causes the death of the crew than their fast adaptation. We suggest that the best solution could be the artificial acceleration of the biological evolution of the astronauts before they start their space deep mission.
Further reading [1] Rettberg Petra, M. Anesio Alexandre, R. Baker Victor, A. Baross John, L. Cady Sherry, Detsis Emmanouil, M. Foreman Christine, Hauber Ernst, Ori Gian Gabriele, A. Pearce David, O. Renno Nilton, Ruvkun Gary, Sattler Birgit, P. Saunders Mark, H. Smith David, Wagner Dirk, Westall Frances, Planetary protection and Mars special regionsda suggestion for updating the definition, Astrobiology 16 (2) (February 2016) 119e125, http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ ast.2016.1472. w Marsa, http://filozofiawpraktyce.pl/. [2] Szocik K., Etyka kolonizatoro [3] K. Szocik, Mars, Human nature and the evolution of the psyche, J. Br. Interplanet. Soc 68 (No. 12) (2015) 403e405.
14 A. Norenzayan, Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict, Princeton University [Press2013].
Please cite this article in press as: K. Szocik, et al., Political and legal challenges in a Mars colony, Space Policy (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.spacepol.2016.05.012
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Space Policy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/spacepol
Viewpoint
Political and legal challenges in a Mars colony Konrad Szocik a, *, Kateryna Lysenko-Ryba b, Sylwia Banas c, Sylwia Mazur d a
Department of Cognitive Science, University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland Chair of Process Engineering, University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland c Chair of Administrative Law, University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland d Institute for Researches on Civilizations, University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland b
a r t i c l e i n f o
a b s t r a c t
Article history: Received 18 March 2016 Accepted 25 May 2016 Available online xxx
In our essay we are going to briefly discuss some legal and political questions associated with the future colonization of Mars which is now being planned by NASA and the second one is known as Project MarsOne. We assume that it will be unclear as to which legal and political solutions could work in the new Martian ecological niche. Here we will show that this issue requires more attention because we unable to predict which elements of human nature will dominate the lives of the Mars colonizers. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Mars Colonization Legal system
1. Introduction The exploration and colonization of other cosmic places seems to be the next stage of human development. NASA is preparing for deep space missions to Mars.1 The European Space Agency (ESA) mentions the opportunity to launch permanent bases on the Moon.2 These expansions have various motives. One of them is outlined by Elon Musk, who suggests sending one million people to Mars because the future existence of humanity on the Earth is threatened.3 In this context the idea of the colonization of outer space is interpreted as a unique possibility for the survival of the humanity. Expected future dangers on the Earth are perhaps a good reason to really think about moving human life to Mars. Another reason is associated with the human ability to expand. Humans have settled in all ecological niches on the Earth despite very different and difficult conditions for life. This outer space
* Corresponding author. University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland, Department of Cognitive Science, Sucharskiego 2 Street, 35-225 w, Poland. Rzeszo E-mail addresses: [email protected] (K. Szocik), [email protected]. pl (K. Lysenko-Ryba), [email protected] (S. Banas), [email protected] (S. Mazur). 1 NASA’s Journey to Mars. Pioneering next steps in space exploration, NASA, Washington 2015. 2 http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2016/02/ESA_Euronews_Moon_ Village. 3 http://www.outerplaces.com/science/item/9914-elon-musk-s-plans-forsending-1-million-people-to-mars-for-500-000-each.
expansion could be a good backdrop and provide a catalyst for highly advanced developments in the fields of technology and science. Deep space missions could be a good place for testing new solutions. Astronauts who will be sent on deep space missions will be under intensive selective pressure. This pressure theoretically could affect the path of future human evolution. How to predict behaviors and reactions of human body and psyche on Mars? Now we can study it on The International Space Station. Its microgravitational environment enables testing of the human organism. However, we cannot predict the cultural evolution of Martian politics, society and it’s legal system. We have found some ethical and cultural issues4 as well as the problematic nature of cooperation in such a difficult environment.5 In this paper we will be focusing on some particular questions associated with the possible political, social and legal challenges faced by a future Mars colony. The question of the long journey to Mars seems to be a very hard challenge for these astronauts. It is not clear how long this journey will take or how long the first mission will last.6 The distance between these two planets is from 55 million to ca. 100 million km
4 K. Szocik, Unseen challenges in a Mars colony, Spaceflight, January 2016, Vol 58, pp. 20e23. 5 K. Szocik, Etyczne i polityczne problemy kolonizacji Marsa, Astronomia, nr 45, marzec 2016, pp. 28e29. 6 http://www.mars-one.com/faq/mission-to-mars/how-long-does-it-take-totravel-to-mars (15.02.16).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2016.05.012 0265-9646/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Please cite this article in press as: K. Szocik, et al., Political and legal challenges in a Mars colony, Space Policy (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.spacepol.2016.05.012
2
K. Szocik et al. / Space Policy xxx (2016) 1e3
dependently on their orbital position.7 Such a long journey could prove to be fatal, not only due to the high risk of technical breakdowns or malfunctions, but also due to physiological and psychological strength of our astronauts. What will be the astronauts’ behaviors during this long journey? We suggest that we cannot compare these future missions with current missions on International Space Station (ISS). We can study the human body after a one year space mission: Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko completed their one year mission on the International Space on the 2nd March of 2016. However, the mental and emotional reactions will be more difficult to measure and compare. These first astronauts will be aware that after the almost one year journey they will have to live on Mars for at least several years or probably their entire lives due to the fact that their return will most likely be technologically impossible. Perhaps these first colonizers will know that their mission is a „one way ticket”. The MarsOne project is going to send the first astronauts to Mars in 2027. In the following two years crews will be sent to enlarge the Martian colony.8 However, it is difficult to predict the impact of such a long journey on human health and the effects of long term exposure to the Martian micrgravitational environment. Some researchers suggest placing the crew into a coma before the journey. Other suggest removing the appendix to avoid great dangers.9 Another troublesome question is possibility of the death of a crew member during the journey. It seems that neither leaving the corpse in space nor its removal outside is a good solution. We would also like to underline some ethical questions. It is not easy to predict the behaviors of astronauts confinded in a small permanently sealed spacecraft during their journey and what problems or conflicts they will encounter and how they resolve them. We suggest that it will not easy to find astronauts who are without any conflicts of interests such as politics, religion, or outlook. Is it possible that the small space of the spacecraft will increase probability of aggression among the astronauts? To avoid these dangers the environmental conditions should be similar to the Earth conditions. The first challenge is the optimal selection of astronauts, especially in the context of their social abilities10. In this context it is worth bearing in mind that these astronauts will be aware of the fact that they will be unable to return to the Earth at least a number of years. It is not clear how this awareness will affect their psyche and behavior. Will it cause aggression, defection or perhaps depression? On the one side, the colonization of Mars will greatly effect technological and scientific progresses. On the other we can assume that this progress may require the death of astronauts that may not survive this journey. Another question is the justification of such a monumental financial commitment for this deep space mission program which has such a high risk of failure. What possible potential benefits could justify the high risk of the death and the great expense? Even in the case of the success of this mission, this human colony will consist of only a few people. Is it worth it to undertake this program for only this small group? If the further of life on the Earth is threatened, perhaps it would be better to focus on increasing the chances of survival on the Earth and for preventing the climate change. Consider another question. What will be the legal status of the Mars colony? We can find in the 1967 “United Nations Treaty on
7 http://odkrywcy.pl/kat,111402,title,Na-Marsa-w-39-dni-a-nawet rocej,wid,14386894,wiadomosc.html?smg4sticaid ¼ 6167b5. 8 http://www.cnbc.com/2015/03/26/the-millionaire-offering-a-one-way-ticketto-mars.html. 9 http://www.astrotime.ru/mars_oneway.html. 10 http://www.astrotime.ru/flight_mars.html.
Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies”, that the outer space and all Solar System bodies are free for research for all countries without any discrimination. The outer space and its objects cannot be appropriated by any country. We can find also the idea of planetary protection which assumes that interplanetary missions should avoid the risk of “harmful contamination”.11 In this context it is worth bearing in mind “Mars Special Regions” which involves regions where theoretically some now unidentified forms of life could exist.12 We mean not only the special protection of some parts of Mars but also the question of possible conflicts of interests between different countries which could be interested in Mars exploration. Could we look for analogy in the conquest of the North Pole? The spacecraft will be the property of the country which will take a control over this spacecraft and its crew. Lets assume however, that this first spacecraft will have an international status. Which law will be obliged for the crew and consequently which legal system will be obliged for Martian colony? We can assume that there will be prepared a new legal system. However, what about the conflict of interests of some countries, their impact on the legal regulations? How to prepare a new legal system before preparing the colony in such particular ecological niche? The legal system is the result of complex social process which is influenced by many various factors. Living on Mars will be characterized by high levels of stress and existential anxiety and uncertainty. It seems that the terrestrial legal systems cannot be applied into Martian environment. The next generations of colonizers can create specific legal norms which will be compatible with Martian limit situations. These legal systems will be easily applied at the level of small group. The more and complex group, the more difficult social and legal organization which can require an authority to create and to protect the law. Effective law is a regulator of human conflicts. In this context it is worth to remember that the natural human feature is a tendency to take an advantage over others.13 We suppose that other theoretically troublesome question could be the relationship between the Earth metropolis and the Martian colony. We will find for the first time in the human history that the Earth will be the owner of an extraterrestrial colony. Is it possible that colonizers will want to achieve independence? What will the metropolis do in this case? Is it possible to cut off supplies? Can we predict or exclude the risk of conflict on Mars? In the case of a Martian rebellion is it possible and profitable to destroy colony? In the case of an independent colony what will be the relationship between The Earth and Mars? We assume that the future Martian law should also include these questions. For instance, in a conflict situation which part of conflict will be supported by the Earth? It will be possible to accept conflict migrants on the Earth? We suppose that the Martian legal system will be one of the most important challenges because the new Martian environment
11 stw w zakresie badan i uzytkowania _ Układ o zasadach działalnosci pan _ przestrzeni kosmicznej ła˛ cznie z Ksie˛ zycem i innymi ciałami niebieskimi, sporza˛ dzony w Moskwie, Londynie i Waszyngtonie dnia 27 stycznia 1967 r. (Dz.U. 1968 nr 14 poz. 82)Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (RES 2222 (XXI)). 12 Rettberg Petra, Anesio Alexandre M., Baker Victor R., Baross John A., Cady Sherry L., Detsis Emmanouil, Foreman Christine M., Hauber Ernst, Ori Gian Gabriele, Pearce David A., Renno Nilton O., Ruvkun Gary, Sattler Birgit, Saunders Mark P., Smith David H., Wagner Dirk, and Westall Frances. Planetary Protection and Mars Special RegionsdA Suggestion for Updating the Definition, Astrobiology. February 2016, 16(2): 120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1472. 13 K. Szocik, Roots of self-domestication, Science, 28 November 2014, Vol 346 Issue 6213, pp. 1067.
Please cite this article in press as: K. Szocik, et al., Political and legal challenges in a Mars colony, Space Policy (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.spacepol.2016.05.012
K. Szocik et al. / Space Policy xxx (2016) 1e3
and difficult living conditions can generate conflicts. Is it possible that the social evolution of the new Martian colony will repeat the same evolutionary patterns as human evolution of the Earth? Is it possible for the development of a social hierarchy on Mars? What about a struggle for power? What about the economical system? We suppose that natural stage of the evolution of the Martian colony will be exchange of goods and services. It seems that the most probable economical solution will be the barter system. However, in the context of the difficult conditions of life we can suppose that the Martian “struggle for existence” could have even greater brutal nature because everyone tends to survival, especially in such specific conditions. In the context of biological evolution through natural selection we can ask which traits will be the best adaptations and which kind of individuals will be more the fit? Which kinds of behavioral features will be favored in the Martian environment? Cooperation or defection? It is worth remembering that natural selection on the lower level of competition, in - group, favors rather defectors than cooperators. On the level of in-group selection favors egoists not altruists. The population of altruists is favored only on the level of inter - group relations. Of course, inter group relations will not be possible in a Mars colony which will only include a small group. In this context we can predict that according to the nature of natural selection this small group will favor egoists rather than altruists. We also find another important question: an attitude of colonizers towards the inhabitants of the Earth. It seems obvious that generations born on Mars can have other approach than first colonizers from the Earth. Generations born on Mars will require specific pedagogical model. We suppose that a good cultural tool could be a new Martian religion. We know what role was played by religious beliefs and religion on the Earth.14 Such Martian religion should underline the sense and purpose of this mission, especially by the justification of the difficult conditions of life. The strategic role of this religion would be the strengthening of cooperation and the feeling of existential and social sense of life. 2. Conclusions Living on Mars will be existentially limit situation. The new Martian colony will need not only the same cultural and social tools
3
as in human evolution on the Earth. The new ecological niche will require specific solutions. Of course, we dispose only our terrestrial experience. How much we can take from these experiences? It seems that we cannot find the strict analogy between human evolution on the Earth and the future evolution on Mars. Living on Mars will require the artificial support for life. The small group of the first colonizers will have highly advanced technologies and the awareness that their life is constantly threatened. How to organize the human life in such specific environmental conditions? Which values will be the most important and dominant? What will be the human behaviors in such crisis situations? As we mentioned above natural selection on the level of small group favors rather egoists than altruism. In this context the Martian colonizers could overcome the biological processes associated with the relationship between the group size and tendency to altruism? First of all, we cannot predict the evolution of human psyche. Perhaps in these environment high levels of stress will cause fear, aggression and a tendency to conflict situations. In this context, how to design the law and social organization? We claim that human beings are not evolutionally adapted to colonize cosmic environments. Technological barriers between humans and their environment can be insufficient in the case of the Martian colony. Intensive selective pressure appropriate for the Martian environment probably rather causes the death of the crew than their fast adaptation. We suggest that the best solution could be the artificial acceleration of the biological evolution of the astronauts before they start their space deep mission.
Further reading [1] Rettberg Petra, M. Anesio Alexandre, R. Baker Victor, A. Baross John, L. Cady Sherry, Detsis Emmanouil, M. Foreman Christine, Hauber Ernst, Ori Gian Gabriele, A. Pearce David, O. Renno Nilton, Ruvkun Gary, Sattler Birgit, P. Saunders Mark, H. Smith David, Wagner Dirk, Westall Frances, Planetary protection and Mars special regionsda suggestion for updating the definition, Astrobiology 16 (2) (February 2016) 119e125, http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ ast.2016.1472. w Marsa, http://filozofiawpraktyce.pl/. [2] Szocik K., Etyka kolonizatoro [3] K. Szocik, Mars, Human nature and the evolution of the psyche, J. Br. Interplanet. Soc 68 (No. 12) (2015) 403e405.
14 A. Norenzayan, Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict, Princeton University [Press2013].
Please cite this article in press as: K. Szocik, et al., Political and legal challenges in a Mars colony, Space Policy (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.spacepol.2016.05.012