Description
Multiple actors’ engagement and investment in the extraterrestrial domain, including celestial bodies, bring opportunities to expand human geography and build greater interdependence between the Earth and Space. Increasing competition in Lunar or Mars explorations undoubtedly manifests the ambition of space actors to exploit resources, expand human settlement, and occupy strategic positions for civil, military, and commercial pursuits. However, space technological development is uneven, so most aspiring space-faring countries in the global south don’t have the capability to enjoy the benefits of celestial resources. All these scenarios raise questions about celestial stewardship. With the growing space race, prominent space actors have often overlooked the environmental aspects of celestial bodies, the sustainable use of resources, and the pursuit of a sustainable future. The study examines how growing competition on celestial bodies, such as the Moon and Mars, is deeply related to Earth-space sustainability, and why there is an urgency to explore the concept of celestial stewardship from multidisciplinary approaches to shape planetary governance by addressing the changing notion of celestial explorations. This study employs explanatory approaches to investigate two contested approaches —contestation and conservation —and their relationship with existing legal boundaries and norms.
