Ethics of Exploration

Looking at ethics, technology and humanity’s future through science and exploration.

This course introduces major ethical frameworks and explores how scientific discoveries and technologies shape society, exploration and our future in space.

Join Jacob Haqq Misra in exploring the ethical questions surrounding science, technology, exploration and humanity’s future on Earth and beyond.

Check out the Ethics of Exploration course

Dr. Jacob Haqq Misra is an astrobiologist and Senior Research Investigator at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science whose work explores planetary habitability, environmental ethics, extraterrestrial life and the future of human settlement beyond Earth. His research bridges science, philosophy and exploration, asking not only how humanity may expand into space, but how we should do so responsibly. Jacob is also the author of Sovereign Mars and has contributed extensively to conversations around SETI, planetary stewardship and the ethics of exploration. (haqqmisra.net)

SpacewardBound NZ is proud to share educational resources developed through collaborations within the international astrobiology community, including the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science (BMSIS), of which both Jacob Haqq-Misra and members of the New Zealand Astrobiology Network are part. Jacob has been a long-time supporter of NZAN and SpacewardBound initiatives, generously contributing his expertise, encouragement and educational resources to help strengthen astrobiology and space science education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

As humanity explores deeper into space and develops increasingly powerful technologies, ethical questions become just as important as scientific ones. From planetary protection and climate change to artificial intelligence, colonisation and the search for life beyond Earth, science constantly shapes the future of society. Exploring ethics through space science encourages students and teachers to think critically about responsibility, decision-making and the long-term consequences of exploration and technological progress.