Peoples & Things Savannah Mandel on an Argument for the End of Human Space Exploration
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Jul 14, 2025 Savannah Mandel, a space anthropologist and writer completing her PhD at Virginia Tech, argues for halting human space exploration in her insightful discussion. She emphasizes that urgent issues on Earth, like poverty and civil rights, should take precedence over space endeavors. Mandel shares her transformative journey from pro-space advocacy to critiquing its ethics, revealing tensions in the space community following her controversial views. She also explores the history of asteroid mining, combining academic rigor with a touch of humor in her reflections on apocalyptic narratives.
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Ground Control's Radical Argument
- Ground Control argues for postponing human space exploration to focus on unmanned missions and urgent Earth issues like climate change.
- This view challenges the conventional notion equating space exploration with progress.
Questioning Space as Progress
- Many space industry advocates equate space exploration with progress, which triggers defensive backlash against criticism.
- Mandel challenges this, asking why earthly sustainability can't be seen as progress instead.
Accessing Spaceport America Ethnography
- Mandel used persistent, strategic emailing to gain access to Spaceport America for her ethnographic research.
- Despite initial barriers and skepticism, she succeeded by connecting through the Commercial Space Flight Federation.
