An Astroethics of Responsibility and Care

How do we justify moving beyond an ethic of survival to an ethic of care? And, which of these two — survival or care — applies to which astrobiological quandaries that confront us? After structuring a proposed “Astroethics of Responsibility”, I would like to list a dozen quandaries to which morally responsible answers are needed. Within the sphere of our solar neighborhood ten commonly articulated quandaries need addressing: (1) planetary protection? (2) intrinsic value of off-Earth biospheres? (3) application of the Precautionary Principle? (4) space debris? (5) satellite surveillance? (6) weaponization of space? (7) scientific versus commercial space exploration? (8) terraforming Mars? (9) colonizing Mars? and (10) anticipating natural space threats? Expanding to the sphere of the Milky Way Metropolis, we ask: (11) should we earthlings send messages to extraterrestrials on exoplanets? Then, if contact is established, what will be our moral obligations to intelligent extraterrestrials within each of three categories: (12a) ETI less intelligent than Earth’s Homo sapiens; (12b) ETI equal in intelligence; and (12c) ETI superior in intelligence? Superior ETI may come in both biological and post biological forms. My proposed ethical mandate: respond with care.