Description
Competition between the US, China and other spacefaring states to establish a permanent base on the moon is progressing at an accelerated pace . Lunar resource exploitation and the construction of permanent settlements on the Moon are frequently framed as solutions to environmental crises on Earth. However, discussion about the environmental impacts on Earth and on the Moon, of space launches and lunar mining is limited. In an era in which geopolitics are heavily influenced by environmental concerns articulated in governance instruments such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, such relative silence is perplexing. Through the lens of environmental authority, this paper critically contrasts the ‘benefits for all humankind ‘ proclaimed by space powers and NewSpace corporations, with the marginalization of environmental and climate change impacts.
