Why we need a code of ethics for space tourist exploration NO 1
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that apply to human research in this field. This probably won't be the last time people in orbit will be asked
to examine themselves in this way. Jared Isaacman, the billionaire behind Inspiration 4, plans to conduct more experiments on his Polaris Dawn mission, scheduled for
in 2024.
in 2024.
Things are different when the research takes place on Earth.When a U.S. citizen chooses to participate in a clinical trial or other biomedical experiment,
even a private one, ethical principles apply to the scientists, physicians, and
institutions responsible for the research. For example, a doctor or university cannot
penalize someone who refuses to participate in a study, and an ethics committee must approve any research before it begins.
These ethical principles are part of the area that receives federal funding. "If the federal government gives you $1 somewhere in your organization,
even if it has nothing to do with research, then any human research you do must comply with what's called
the 'common rule,'" says Paul Wolpe, a bioethicist at from Emory University. and former head of bioethics at NASA.
The 1991 Common Rule, or more formally the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, is codified
in many federal agencies, including the Department of Health and
Human Services.Its scope also extends beyond Earth to include NASA research, which governs how the agency should treat astronauts on the International Space Station.
But civilians began to fly into orbit on private company spaceships. And those that don't accept federal money are not officially subject to the Common Rule. What if
But civilians began to fly into orbit on private company spaceships. And those that don't accept federal money are not officially subject to the Common Rule. What if
SpaceX or, for example, Axiom Space made it a condition that everyone participating in private space missions must take a drug under the direction of the partner company
to check how it is metabolized in weightlessness?
[Related: Private space missions will bring more countries to the ISS]
[Related: Private space missions will bring more countries to the ISS]
This was the subject of a new paper published by Wolpe and colleagues in Science. They argue that now is the time
to ask questions about the ethics of human experimentation on private spacecraft before it becomes ubiquitous.
“Commercial space travel is currently gaining momentum. The temptation
to carry out experiments on humans already exists, says Wolpe and calls for a quick consensus. “It’s not like we say, ‘In 10 or 15 years
we can do this.’ We say, ‘We can do it next week.”
The authors of the article argue that it is possible
The authors of the article argue that it is possible
to expand the ethical framework already used in scientific research with people on Earth - and in the case of NASA astronauts in space - by respecting four principles:
social Responsibility, scientific excellence, proportionality and globalization. . Government.
Social responsibility recognizes that previous public investments that have made space travel possible require the conduct of such research
Social responsibility recognizes that previous public investments that have made space travel possible require the conduct of such research