The Ethics of Launching A Car Into Space

On February 6, Elon Musk's company SpaceX launched Falcon Heavy, the world's most powerful operational rocket, mounted with one of Musk's red Tesla Roadsters, a “Don’t Panic” dashboard message and a dummy astronaut dubbed “Starman” in the driver’s seat. All this soundtracked by an infinite loop of David Bowie's "Space Oddity". According to scientists, the Roadster will coast in space for tens of millions of years before likely crashing into the Earth.

In the Guardian's opinion section, Nathan Robinson, the editor of currentaffairs.org, explores the ethics of having a Roadster shot into space, the event dubbed both as “a new space age” by the CNN and "a PR stunt for the ages" by the BBC. Describing SpaceX launch as "indefensible waste of resources", Robinson taps into a bigger discussion on the world's inequality and unfair distribution of wealth.

"There is, perhaps, no better way to appreciate the tragedy of 21st-century global inequality than by watching a billionaire spend $90m launching a $100,000 car into the far reaches of the solar system," writes Robinson.

Contrasting Musk's extravaganza with the sobering statistics on poverty, poor health and conflict, the article also offers a powerful commentary on space travel and our society's priorities. Why do we spend billions on space exploration when there's so much going on on Earth? Should striving for technological innovations, including rocketry experiments, come ahead of ensuring dignity for all and meeting everyone's basic needs?

Robinson believes that "perhaps once violence, poverty and disease are solved, then we can head for the stars". Bearing in mind that it's an op-ed, the article offers much food for thought, whether you agree or disagree. For additional inspiration, you can check the progress of the Roadster and Starman through space on this website.