EarthLight Believes:

In this early stage of our evolution, humanity has nearly wrecked the MotherWorld’s ecosystem. Based on what we have learned by studying other worlds such as Mars and Venus and by our own often space-based studies of Gia herself, we predict that unless urgent worldwide action is taken soon, our world’s ability to support life itself will come to an end.

Space gives us both the OverView to see how fragile she is, examples of other worlds, a place to observe and study, and a platform from which to help repair her.

It is urgent that humanity correct the atmospheric imbalance leading to this disaster.

Transitioning to an eco-friendly, electrical society requires space resources and examples of how we can live in closed systems that translate down here.

Even as changes and transitions are made down here, it is urgent that we begin to immediately develop access and the ability to utilize space to help save the Earth. Among possible uses of space that go beyond mere observation of the disaster are these:

1. The development of or placement of energy sources in space, be they nuclear power stations or to collect sunlight and beam that power to the Earth.

2. Harvesting resources needed to build a post-fire electrical economy such as so called “rare earth metals” to end our need to rip them from our MotherWorld.

3. Possible “break glass” emergency measures such as Earth Shades, controllable, scalable ways to block small but significant amounts of solar radiation from hitting Earth.

EarthLight believes we must develop and instill an ethos built around the mantra of re-use, recycling, repurposing, and resources as a core part of space decision-making, wherein the very idea of throwing anything away is considered culturally abhorrent.

1.     Clean up the mess we have already made in space.
2.     Transition to all reusable/recyclable space transportation and equipment.
3.     Ban the random disposal of spacecraft and rockets in space – including the international implementation of fines and legal penalties for those trashing the Solar System.
4.     Create laws to allow for salvage, transfer of ownership, and the claiming of abandoned space technology based on terrestrial maritime law.
5.     Create methods to identify and protect what will become historic locations and hardware – and develop the funds and means to enable their preservation.
6.     Create space-based “junk/debris yards” where used non-historic hardware and materials can be stored for future economic re-use.
7.     Strongly punish any individual, organization, or state that willfully creates debris or hazards in space, either through neglect or deliberate actions such as ASAT tests.

We believe the International Space Station (originally referred to as Space Station Freedom) should have been built by the private sector – not the government. We celebrate and support the development of the various new private space facilities now in the works.

However, the current default plan of the U.S. and its space station partners to de-orbit the space station are ill-conceived and violates the concepts of recycling, reuse, and repurposing central to the EarthLight philosophy.

The idea of dumping an entire building full of functional technology and useful materials onto the MotherWorld is emblematic of an old space culture based on a use-it-and-throw-it-away approach to space activities.

This is antithetical not only to the EarthLight approach to space but models the exact opposite behavior needed for humanity to save spaceship Earth.

EarthLight calls on Congress, NASA, and its partners to immediately begin high-level well-funded studies to replace de-orbiting the ISS at the end of its technical “lifetime” with another plan that keeps it alive – even if in hibernation or storage.

Options include offering useful elements of the station to private operators, declaring “salvage” on other elements, and up-orbiting the main facility into a storage orbit. We believe, at a minimum, the core of ISS should be declared a Universal Heritage Site and saved for future generations as an important part of their space legacy.

“Freedom Shall Not Fall!”

EarthLight believes that life is precious. This means all life, everywhere. However, we also believe that while there is and will be much to discuss and understand about what “life” means, we cannot stop the expansion of the domain of life as we know it without evidence that our actions will harm extant life at locations where we may choose to visit or live. As Mars may well be the first place these questions arise, we will use it as an example:

1.     There may have been life on Mars, and it may still exist in places we have not yet explored.
2.     Locations that are deemed to hold historic or archeological clues and evidence of possible past life must be preserved.
3.     In cases where we do discover life, we must do our best to ensure it and any relevant, supportive, or interdependent ecosystems are preserved and declared off-limits – except for research.
4.     For example, if life is found in specific micro-ecosystems, such as puddles under the Martian polar ice, such areas must be off limits to human interference and development.
5.     However, we cannot impede or overly slow down the expansion of humanity and life to Mars as we do so.

EarthLight opposes humanity expanding its wars here on Earth into space. Yet, given the history and reality of the original space race as being one between warring powers, and the belief by space powers that Earth orbit is critical to the support of warfighters on the planet below, we recognize it may be too late to stop the planning and deployment of certain types of military systems in space, such as those used for communications and reconnaissance.

However, we oppose:

The deployment of any weapon that can harm life, humanity, Earth, and property in space.

The use of space as the location for any weapons or technologies that may be used against locations or people on the Earth itself.

We also, therefore, urgently call for the establishment of treaties, norms, and strong penalties for offensive military actions in space AND the emplacement of weapons in space specifically to undertake either of the above two uses.

Freedom of speech and expression are fundamental human rights. EarthLight believes in the freedom of speech and communication, and that includes promotion, advertising, and art. However, we also believe we must protect the visual commons of our skies as much as possible – especially in that they are considered sacred by many faiths and religions.

Therefore:

We support any and all branding and messaging on or as part of any mission or activity in space that is integral to or part of the specific and actual mission and/or its hardware.

We oppose any permanent transformation or modification of any existing feature or locale in space for the pure purposes of promotion and/or advertising. (EG – carving a soft drink logo into the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon large enough to be seen from the Earth.)

We also oppose long-term or permanent branding or messaging that defiles locations in space and/or is visible with the naked eye from Earth. (EG – Fireworks vs. orbital billboards.)

EarthLight Believes in humanity, democracy, and the fundamental rights of all human beings to live their lives free from interference or control. Our Space Declaration outlines the basics of these beliefs.

Human beings, wherever they may be, are entitled to all of the freedoms outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Any human living in space must be free from political or economic coercion – no matter where they come from on Earth,

Any facility, community, or human enterprise in space may decide the forms and structures of its own operations and government – so long as they do not violate the UDHR.

Rights include speech, enterprise, association, location, non-interference, and property.

EarthLight Believes:

The history of humanity is one where the technological advantage of one group has often led to the suppression of others.

Opening the High Frontier of space provides us the first real chance for everyone to share in creating a new future together – if we work together.

The space community and industry, as with other industries, must actively and dramatically increase the involvement, opportunities, and investments made in those people who have so far not been proportionally engaged in the opening of space.

While we celebrate the investment of the wealthy to create space transportation systems and believe that eventually, market forces will bring the cost of human space travel down, every effort must be made to democratize access to the Frontier as soon as possible.

We must ensure that every child who dreams of joining the Space Revolution has the chance to do so – including the right to go UP!

EarthLight hopes humanity and the life of Earth are not unique. We hope there are other sentient creatures out there, or at least worlds that are full of life. While there is little or no evidence of spacefaring civilizations we can find from Earth, we take no position on their existence or possible visitation of Earth itself.

Carl Sagan spoke of “billions and billions of stars,” and from what we are seeing, many may be home to planets that are friendly to life.

Yet we have not seen anything scientifically credible indicating the evolution of spacefaring civilizations, let alone visits to the homeworld.

Are they out there? They may be. Are they here? They may be. Does it matter to our goals?

Yes. And no. We celebrate the rise of all life everywhere. Any species, any place in the universe to us, is an ally in this cause. Yet until we confirm their existence, we must bet on the cards in our own hands, and that means treasuring the amazing world we call Earth.

If they don’t exist, it means our MotherWorld and our civilization is priceless – and if they do, it is important we rapidly develop our society to meet them on as equal terms as we can.

Meanwhile, we must continue with our work to spread the seeds of life to worlds now dead.

When we meet any others out there, it will be with an open hand, open minds, and open hearts. After all, we are all on Team Life!

EarthLight supports the use of nuclear reactors in space to provide energy in places or, at times it is not easily available or scalable to support human activities. For example, during the Lunar night cycle or locations too distant from the sun to make the use of solar energy feasible or to provide energy for high-speed inter-Solar transportation. 

The usage of nuclear-powered systems for small exploration spacecraft has been successfully demonstrated and implemented for decades.

The rapid development of scientific facilities and human communities in space can be accelerated by employing small nuclear power systems.

Inter-Solar transportation can also be dramatically scaled using nuclear propulsion systems.

The safety and other needed systems to minimize launch-related accidents on certain launch systems and to assure the safety of nuclear power systems in case of accidents are very high.

We support the fast-track introduction of nuclear propulsion and power systems in space.

Note – the recent developments in fusion research bode well for even safer systems to be developed and may well create demand for space-based resources such as helium 3.

Every element and natural resource vital to human existence exists both on Earth and in space. Learning to “live off the land” by finding, harvesting, and utilizing space resources is critical to the rapid scaling of human communities beyond Earth.

We believe it must be a priority in all long-term and permanence-oriented space programs and missions to develop local space resources.

While most early use of space resources will be to support the development of space itself, the clear long-term goal of this work must be to eventually “export” the most precious of these materials back to the MotherWorld, thus reducing the need to decimate local habitats. These include vital elements such as so-called “rare Earth metals” and helium 3 – vital to support a fusion-based economy.

Given the long lead times needed to emplace resource supply chains, national and international legal and financial regimes need to be developed to incentivize the rapid locating and harvesting of these materials as soon as possible.

The right of individuals to acquire, use, sell, give or transfer real estate is a recognized and central pillar of society in every free nation on Earth – and has been so throughout human history. EarthLight believes space can be no different if we are to incentivize and democratize the Frontier. 

In a philosophical sense, EarthLight believes no one truly “owns” any land, be it on Earth or in space.

Legal recognition of rights of non-interference, ownership of extracted resources, and enforcement of such rules is critical to creating the needed market economy vital to supporting human space development.

EarthLight does not support the ceding or taking of large swaths of territories on planetary bodies by corporate or state entities. However, the ability of the people to establish one’s own home and community, based on the certainty of the provision of rights of ownership and the ability to buy, sell, give or inherit that land is critical to incentivizing the development of space for life. As a caveat to this position and to block its misuse, we Do Not believe corporations are people.

If one defines the “improvement” of land as meaning increasing its ability to support life, any person doing so to a previously dead piece of ground in space while literally risking their own lives to should therefore be granted the right to build and live on that land, with all the rights and abilities accepted by most advanced nations here on Earth.

Therefore, EarthLight believes that incentives to expand the domain of life throughout the Solar System by rewarding the “improvement” of non-terrestrial areas need to be implemented as soon as possible.

Note – The extraction of resources and the right to do so offers a nuance to this Position. EarthLight agrees there needs to be clear guidance as to the right to mine or harvest space resources, the status of such locations before and after such extraction, and the responsibilities of those undertaking such projects. We draw a distinction between such industrial activities, which might possibly be completely robotic in nature and not involve habitation or human utilization of any kind, and those developing lands for their own homes or communities and support.

To EarthLight, the individual human or sentient being is the ultimate entity of governance. We consider the individual to be the ultimate source of all legal, societal and social interactions, frameworks, and legal and political interactions. Thus, the importance of education, empathy, principles, morals, and mindfulness of our place and role in the Universe at the level of “person” is critical.

In an odd and interesting circle of social evolution, humanity began as a collection of self-sustained groups of hunter-gatherers living in harmony with nature.

The more we organized ourselves into ever larger social units, the more we lost this harmony.

As we learn to harvest and mold the resources of space into the stuff needed to support lives, we will again achieve this level of freedom and the possibility of a new partnership with nature – once again as her partner.

Past treaties and policies regarding space devolve the sovereign rights and responsibilities of the people to their memberships in corporate or state entities. These entities can then use the tools of the state to control their citizens.

At some point in the not-too-distant future, individual humans, tribes, or communities will have the ability to utilize freely available energy and resources in space to create, make or build anything they need or desire. This will be the breaking of the chains that tie humans to Earth. More importantly, it will signify the achievement of the ultimate in human freedom. No longer will territorial, resource, societal, legal, or other pressures be applied to control human populations. They will be free to do as they choose.

We believe that as humanity expands itself into space, our goal must be to evolve the recognition of these rights and responsibilities to the individual and break both the bonds of Earth’s gravity and tyranny over the people.

This point is not made as advocacy of anarchy or rebellion against today’s Earthly powers and power structures. It is instead a recognition that individual humans will soon be able to choose their own paths, develop their own tribes, communities, and cultures and do so in any way they see fit.

To EarthLight, this inevitability is part of the reason we exist. Our overarching goal, the one that inspires our Principles of Purpose, The Space Declaration, our 4 Rs, and these positions themselves, is to create and inculcate a core set of foundational and shared principles and cultural agreements into those doing the important work right now of opening the Solar System to humanity. 

This has never before happened in history. There has never been a moment in time where a non-religious, non-national, non-commercial set of guiding ideas and principles has been created and adopted by those opening what they thought to be “New Worlds.”

A part of our job is to “lock in” and establish these “rules of the road” today that can guide and support our descendants as they expand the domain of life, evolve civilization and explore and experience the wonders of the Universe.