Why We Should Celebrate the Wealthy Going to Space

An increasingly common refrain today is that the rich should not be allowed to buy tickets to space before everyone else. This idea is encapsulated in a Forbes article titled “SpaceX Is Sending the Ultra Wealthy to the Moon, but That’s No Cause for Celebration.”¹ The article claims that space “must benefit society at large in the same way that roads, trains and even commercial air travel serve the social good.” The authors argue that space should be “accessible and equitable for everyone” and that “Without attention to the ethical dimensions of transportation and mobility, there’s a disturbing risk that such expeditions [into space] will be reserved for the ultra-wealthy.”

They declare that “Developed societies function and thrive because of accessible, equitable infrastructure,” which includes such things as clean water, reliable electricity, and a near-global cell phone network. “Now imagine,” they summarize, “if these benefits were only available to the few. It’s unthinkable. Whatever treasures, opportunities and promises space may hold, we need to make sure they’re available to all of us, not just some of us.”

Such arguments ignore history, economics, and ethics (despite implications to the contrary). In fact, cell phones, electricity, and even running water were once the sole domain of the rich. This is simply a historical fact, and there is an excellent reason for it. . . .

About Owen Lewis

Owen Lewis is a space and science enthusiast who holds degrees in geology and psychology. You can follow him on Twitter at @is_fusion, where he promotes the development and use of nuclear fusion as a source of energy. 

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