Zachary Onisick

ECLIPSED BY ETHICS:
THE MOONECLIPSED BY
ETHICS: THE MOON
 Contents
Abstract .................................................................................................. 21

The Problem of DistributionProblem ................................................... 2

The Potential ...........................................................................................................2

Mining ................................................................................................................................... 32

Defense ................................................................................................................................. 43

Space Exploration ................................................................................................................. 43

The Problem .........................................................................................................43

Forming RegulationsThe Solution ......................................................... 4

Change Our World..................................................................................................4

Implementation .....................................................................................................54

Mission and ObjectiveThe Future ....................................................... 54

With Open Eyes ....................................................................................................54

Unity .....................................................................................................................65

Conclusion .............................................................................................. 65

References .............................................................................................. 75

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 Abstract
With the astounding achievement of Neil Armstrong’s giant leap for mankind, humanity has
obtained access to a vast wealth of land that was previously unreachable. The incredible amount
of valuable resources such as titanium, helium-3, and water make the moon a primary target for
exploitation (LeatherBarrow, 2018). Aside from the material wealth, there is also a great deal of
opportunity for entire industries to spring up on the unique environment that the Moon possesses.
Experimental organ printing and space ports are two such examples that could bring trillions of
dollars into the economy and benefit all of humanity (Kendal, 2019).

With such potential for reward, the potential for abuse rises as well. Among the countries of the
world, few are equipped with the technology to send the necessary supplies to fuel such an
operation into orbit. On top of this, private corporations have begun building space industries of
their own in a new commercial space race (Wang, 2016). Who has the rights to these lunar
resources? Will only the most advanced countries be able to benefit from humanity’s
inheritance?

Exploitation of space is still rife with ethical issues and debates. Topics such as citizenship, land
rights, and ownership are all riddled with confusion. Should land and access to valuable minerals
be obtained in a first-come, first-serve manner? What nationality does a person born on the
Moon have? Should materials be distributed to countries who cannot participate? (Rummel,
2017) Questions like these and more could be answered by a proposed new branch of the U.N.
called the Board of Space Ethics and Operations. This board, made up of ethical experts and
astronomers, would create legislation regarding the travel through and use of space.

The Problem of
DistributionThe Problem
The Potential
With such a versatile and unique landscape, the uses for the Moon are endless. Whether it be
simply mining the surface for its valuable materials, or as a tourist destination, the Moon is an
extremely valuable resource.

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Mining
One of the primary potential uses for the Moon is as a source of materials. Rare Earth Metals
(REM), water, and helium-3 all reside in heavy amounts on the Moon. According to NASA, the
world’s REM supplies are on the verge of being exhausted. By mining the massive amounts of
REM located on the Moon, the pressure on Earth can be relieved and humanity can continue to
expand production. While the need for REM is quite obvious, as they are used in nearly all
electronics, the true treasure of
the Moon lies in its deposits of
helium. Helium, mostly known
as the gas that makes balloons
float, is in dangerously low
amounts on earth. With the
development of modern
technology, the importance of
helium has increased evermore
as a primary candidate fuel for
nuclear fusion. This theoretical
means of energy production
requires a specific type of
helium, helium-3, which is in great abundance on the Moon as seen in Figure 1. Obtaining these
stockpiles through mining would open opportunities for a near infinite supply of energy for
everyone on earth (NASA). In order to assure the equal distribution of these valuable resources,
regulations must be put in place (NASA)..

"Global inventory of Helium-3 in lunar regoliths estimated by a

multi-channel microwave radiometer on the Chang-E 1 lunar
satellite," F. WenZhe, et al., Chinese Science Bulletin, December 2010,
Vol. LV, No.35.

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Defense
The dark side of the Moon, forever facing away from the earth, has been proposed as a prime
location for an earth defense system. This system would work, armed with nuclear warheads, to
defend earth from the cataclysmic event of a meteor strike. The amount of protection that this
would provide is entirely theoretical, but it would provide a critical line of defense that could
prevent humanity’s extinction (Kendal, 2019).

Space Exploration
Another point of usage for the Moon is as a secondary space base and launchpad. Because the
primary difficulty in launching an object into space is getting past earth’s gravity well and
atmosphere, massive amounts of resources are used for every launch. The Moon, lacking both a
strong gravitational pull and an atmosphere, is the perfect solution. Instead of battling against the
struggles of launching off Earth, future space exploration missions could launch of the Moon at a
fraction of the cost.

The Problem
The situation and opportunity that the Moon presents to humanity is the first among many
potential space endeavors. The ethical concerns and questions that are being asked for the first
time will set the precedent for the future of all human space operations. Who should decide on
something so important? No single country has the right to mandate space ethics for the rest of
the world, and nobody would listen if they tried. Do corporations follow the laws set for nations
or will there be separate mandates for commercial space industry? Who gets to claim the
valuable mining locations on the Moon? Questions such as these must be answered or the fight
over resources will quickly become a free-for-all (Rummel, 2017).

The SolutionForming
Regulations
Change Our World
In order for all of mankind’s needs to be taken into account, the deciding party needs to be
neutral and have widespread nationalities. The United Nations provides exactly what is needed in
an already existing format. A new branch of the U.N. could be formed called the Board of Space
Ethics and Exploration, or S.E.E. S.E.E would be made up of astronomers, philosophers, and
politicians from each of space-faring nations. These people, entrusted with the duty of setting out

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law for exploitation of space, would work together to ensure a fair set of laws governing space
travel.

Implementation
S.E.E’s initial goal would be to create a set of laws that govern the use of space. Protections
against orbit pollution, legislation on property law, and protocol on proper space missions would
all be put in place. As a long-term goal, S.E.E would debate over ethical issues surrounding
space travel. They would decide what kind of
citizenship a person born in space would have, who
gets rights to what land, and how commercial space
exploitation fits in amongst national programs. On a
case by case basis, S.E.E would judge each situation
fully and give their recommended course of action
for the benefit of humanity. as a whole.

Mission and Objective

The Future
With Open Eyes
With S.E.E overlooking all space voyages, many of the heated debates of the modern era will
dissipate and be replace by others. S.E.E will continue to evolve and work constantly to ensure
that the laws holding society in place can extend into space as smoothly as possible. This will not
be an easy goal, and there will likely be many difficulties along the way, but it is certain that
such a group would be a significant improvement to what there is today.

Structure
Because of the unique makeup of the United Nations, it would be relatively easy to integrate
S.E.E into its formation. The United Nations is made up of six distinguishable “organs”. Each

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section is separate from the other and serves a unique purpose. Five of the six councils are based
in the United States, so leading the cause to institute a seventh council based wouldn’t be
extremely difficult. Once the council for Space Exploration and Exploitation is formed as the
seventh organ, regulations can be quickly and efficiently instated and a new era can begin (UN
Structure)..

Unity
In order to achieve proper exploitation of the stars, humanity must unify itself behind one front.
The United Nations provides a perfect stepping-stone to such an accomplishment. As things
stand right now, it is unlikely for unification behind one government; so a collection of
governments is the next best thing. With one mind and one set of goals, the United Nations can
achieve much more than individual countries and corporations and the benefits will be shared
equally among the nations.

Conclusion
As the new era of space exploration begins, many ethical questions must be considered. The
Moon is a literal treasure trove of material and opportunity, but humanity lacks the direction and
ethical understanding to take advantage of it. Questions such as “Who can claim sections of the
Moon to mine?”, “Are corporations bound to the same rules as nations?”, and “What are the
consequences of exploiting the Moon?” continue to plague any attempts to revive the push into
space. Someone must answer the questions, and it has to be someone that does not favor one
nation’s goals over the others.

The United Nations and the proposed Board of Space Exploration and Ethics is the perfect
solution. With equal representation of nations across the world, S.E.E would answer the
questions in a fair and reasonable manner; for the good of the many, not the few. Under this
gentle guidance, space exploration would flourish and mankind can take yet another giant leap
into harnessing the solar system.

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References
Horner, Jonti. “Mining the Moon.” Curious, Australian Academy of Science, 20 Dec. 2018,
www.science.org.au/curious/space-time/mining-moon.

Kendal, Evie. “Five Ethical Questions for How We Choose to Use the Moon.” The
Conversation, 15 July 2019, theconversation.com/five-ethical-questions-for-how-we-
choose-to-use-the-moon-116801.

“Lunar Shadows.” The Moon, by William J. Leatherbarrow, Reaktion Books Ltd, 2018, pp. 11–
25.

Rummel, John D. “Some Ethical Considerations in Space Exploration:” 4 November 2017.

Tanassian, Kendota. “r/Vexillology - United Nations of the Earth and Moon.” Reddit, 2019,
www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/comments/by95za/united_nations_of_the_earth_and_moon/

“The Lunar Gold Rush: How Moon Mining Could Work.” NASA, NASA,
www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/infographic.view.php?id=11272.

“UN Structure | Outreach.un.org.mun.” United Nations, United Nations,

outreach.un.org/mun/content/un-structure.

Wang, Brian. “Planetary Resources And The Government Of Luxembourg Announce €25
Million Investment and Target 2020 Asteroid Mining Mission.”
1761eac3b1967fa6e4cafb6af110abcc-1, NextBigFuture.com, 19 Nov. 2016,
www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/11/planetary-resources-and-government-of.html.

Figure 1: "Global inventory of Helium-3 in lunar regoliths estimated by a multi-channel Formatted: Font: 12 pt
microwave radiometer on the Chang-E 1 lunar satellite," F. WenZhe, et al., Chinese Formatted: Font: 12 pt
Science Bulletin, December 2010, Vol. LV, No.35. Field Code Changed
Formatted: Font: 12 pt
Formatted: Font: 12 pt

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