The nutshell kings: Why is human space settlement controversial in the first place?

TL;DR

This paper explores the controversy surrounding human space settlement, analyzing cultural resistance and proposing strategies to address skepticism through public outreach and counter-arguments.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of space skepticism's cultural roots and offers counter-arguments and outreach strategies to support human space settlement.

Findings

Space skepticism is diverse and widespread.

Cultural resistance impacts space policy and development.

Counter-arguments and outreach are needed to address skepticism.

Abstract

Recent years have seen both a revival of space programs, mostly propelled by private industry's increasing interest, but also the emergence of strong resistance to human space activities on several levels. This is partly a manifestation of a wider counter-Enlightenment Zeitgeist, as detectable in other sectors of public life in the West, and partly a reaction against the widespread engagement of the private sector. While it still does not dominate the discourse on space issues, space skepticism is surprisingly wide-ranging and decentralized phenomenon, gathering together heterogeneous strands of thought from pro-Enlightenment liberals to rabid "deep ecology" activists to philosophical pessimists to antiglobalists of all colors. There has been precious little in way of actively opposing this cultural trend so far, however. While space engineers and entrepreneurs conduct their "business as usual", there are plethora of risks hidden in this cultural climate, esp. if one adopts much repeated (and rarely adequately understood) maxim that "politics is downstream of culture." The present article will review major strands of thought within this big tent cultural movement, offer plausible counter-arguments to space skeptics, and outline important cultural and public-outreach work which needs to be done to balance the scales.