Editing Space colonization (section)

{{Short description|Concept of permanent human habitation outside of Earth}}
{{Expand French|Colonisation de l'espace|date=January 2023|topic=sci}}
{{for-multi|hypothetical large-scale space settlements|Space settlement|contemporary habitation modules|Space habitat (facility)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}

[[File:Buzz salutes the U.S. Flag.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Photo of the [[Lunar Flag Assembly|first national flag assembled by a human on the Moon]] ([[Apollo 11]], 1969). With colonization of space having been a critically discussed issue since the dawn of the [[space age]], resulting in the [[Outer Space Treaty]] (1967), the flag was not to symbolize any territorial claims.<ref name="Smith 2019">{{cite web | last=Smith | first=Kiona N. | title=How Apollo 11 Raised The Flag on the Moon, And What It Means Today | website=Forbes | date=20 July 2019 | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kionasmith/2019/07/20/how-apollo-11-raised-the-flag-on-the-moon-and-what-it-means-today/ | access-date=16 September 2021}}</ref>]]
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'''Space colonization''' (or '''extraterrestrial colonization''') is the [[human settlement|settlement]] or [[colonization]] of [[outer space]] and [[astronomical bodies]]. The concept in its broad sense has been applied to any permanent human presence in space, such as a [[space habitat]] or other [[extraterrestrial settlement]]s.<ref name="Nye"/> It may involve a process of occupation or control for exploitation, such as [[Space mining|extraterrestrial mining]].

Making territorial claims in space is prohibited by international [[space law]], defining space as a [[Common heritage of humanity|common heritage]]. International space law has had the goal to prevent colonial claims and [[militarization of space]],<ref name="Collis 2009 pp. 47–65"/><ref name="Wilson Center 2021"/> and has advocated the installation of international regimes to regulate access to and sharing of space, particularly for specific locations such as the limited space of [[Geostationary orbit#Orbital allocation|geostationary orbit]]<ref name="Collis 2009 pp. 47–65"/> or the Moon. To date, no permanent space settlement other than temporary [[Space habitat (facility)|space habitats]] have been established, nor has any extraterrestrial territory or [[Extraterrestrial real estate|land been internationally claimed]]. Currently there are also no plans for building a space colony by any government. However, many proposals, speculations, and designs, particularly for extraterrestrial settlements have been made through the years, and a considerable number of space colonization [[space advocacy|advocates]] and groups are active. Currently, the dominant private launch provider [[SpaceX]], has been the most prominent organization [[SpaceX Mars colonization program|planning space colonization on Mars]], though having not reached a development stage beyond launch and landing systems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lagatta |first=Eric |title=Elon Musk says human could reach Mars in 4 years after uncrewed SpaceX Starship trips |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/09/09/spacex-launch-mars-elon-musk-starship/75145498007/ |date=9 September 2024 |access-date=2 October 2024|website=USA Today |language=en-US}}</ref>

Space colonization raises numerous socio-political questions. Many arguments for and against space settlement have been made. The two most common reasons in favor of colonization are the [[Space and survival|survival of humans and life]] independent of Earth, making humans a [[multiplanetary species]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chon-Torres |first1=Octavio Alfonso |last2=Murga-Moreno |first2=César Andreé |date=October 2021 |title=Conceptual discussion around the notion of the human being as an inter and multiplanetary species |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1473550421000197/type/journal_article |journal=International Journal of Astrobiology |language=en |volume=20 |issue=5 |pages=327–331 |doi=10.1017/S1473550421000197 |bibcode=2021IJAsB..20..327C |issn=1473-5504|url-access=subscription }}</ref> in the event of a [[Global catastrophic risk|planetary-scale disaster (natural or human-made)]], and the [[commercial use of space]] particularly for enabling a more sustainable expansion of human society through the availability of additional resources in space, reducing environmental damage on and exploitation of Earth.<ref name="o168">{{cite journal | last=Calanchi | first=Alessandra | title=De-colonizing the Earth to Re-enact Colonialism on Mars | journal=Iperstoria | issue=22 | date=21 December 2023 | doi=10.13136/2281-4582/2023.I22.1373 | page=}}</ref> The most common objections include concerns that the [[commodification]] of the cosmos may be likely to continue pre-existing detrimental processes such as [[environmental degradation]], [[economic inequality]] and [[war]]s, enhancing the interests of the already powerful, and at the cost of investing in solving existing major environmental and [[social issue]]s.<ref name="marshall"/><ref>{{Cite book|last=Deudney|first=Daniel|title=Dark Skies: Space Expansionism, Planetary Geopolitics, and the Ends of Humanity|date=2020|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-009024-1|language=en|oclc=1145940182|author-link=Daniel Deudney}}</ref><ref name="Dickens-MR-2010-11">{{cite book |last1=Dickens |first1=Peter |url=http://monthlyreview.org/2010/11/01/the-humanization-of-the-cosmos-to-what-end/ |title=The Humanization of the Cosmos – to What End? |last2=Ormrod |first2=James |date=November 2010 |publisher=[[Monthly Review]] |access-date=3 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003183108/http://monthlyreview.org/2010/11/01/the-humanization-of-the-cosmos-to-what-end/ |archive-date=3 October 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The mere construction of an extraterrestrial settlement, with the needed infrastructure, presents daunting technological, economic and social challenges. Space settlements are generally conceived as providing for nearly all (or all) the needs of larger numbers of humans. The environment in space is [[Effect of spaceflight on the human body|very hostile]] to human life and not readily accessible, particularly for maintenance and supply. It would involve much advancement of currently primitive technologies, such as [[controlled ecological life-support system]]s. With the high cost of [[orbital spaceflight]] (around $1400 per kg, or $640 per pound, to [[low Earth orbit]] by SpaceX [[Falcon Heavy]]), a space settlement would currently be massively expensive, but ongoing progress in [[reusable launch system]]s aim to change that (possibly reaching $20 per kg to orbit),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a7446/elon-musk-on-spacexs-reusable-rocket-plans-6653023/|title=Elon Musk on SpaceX's Reusable Rocket Plans|first=Rand |last=Simberg |date=7 February 2012|access-date=13 June 2015 |website=Popular Mechanics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624061845/http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a7446/elon-musk-on-spacexs-reusable-rocket-plans-6653023/|archive-date=24 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and in creating [[Space manufacturing|automated manufacturing and construction techniques]].