Abstract
In this chapter we examine the implications of a crewed mission to Mars, possible colonisation of the planet, and the wider implications this may have on genetic enhancement in both a terrestrial and space context. We consider the usage of both somatic and germ-line genetic engineering, and its potential impact on the evolution of Homo sapiens. We acknowledge that a mission to Mars may require the usage of such technologies if it is to be successful. Our investigation suggests that the use of such technologies might ultimately be linked with the transformation of our own species. We also consider projected timescales for the development of these genetic enhancements and the ethical questions raised by the possibility of speciation. Cooperation among spacefaring nations in this context and the development of norms for the use of such technologies is desirable.
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Notes
- 1.
International Asteroid Day was established in 2016 by United Nations resolution (A/RES/71/90), to be held yearly on 30 June, the date of the Tunguska asteroid impact in Siberia, Russia, in 1908, to highlight the risk to life on Earth posed by asteroids.
- 2.
A similar body was created during the Cold War, established in 1985 and disbanded in 2002, and was closely linked to the SDI (Strategic Defence Initiative, colloquially referred to as ‘Star Wars’). The latest incarnation is charged with the development of Space Force Operations (see www.atomicheritage.org).
- 3.
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Norman, Z., Reiss, M.J. (2020). Two Planets, One Species: Does a Mission to Mars Alter the Balance in Favour of Human Enhancement?. In: Szocik, K. (eds) Human Enhancements for Space Missions. Space and Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42036-9_11
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