Artemis and Ethics Workshop Lessons Learned

As NASA lays out its Artemis activities, it expects to set precedents in spaceflight for decades to come. Artemis is a far more ambitious program than even Apollo, aimed at developing a sustained human presence on and around the lunar surface, in preparation for Mars exploration. As a result, considering ethical and social concerns in the discussion and design of Artemis is vital to ensuring the future worlds we create are ones where humanity collectively wants to live. By understanding how to reflect on these issues as NASA makes decisions related to Artemis, NASA can avoid unintended consequences stemming from cultural perceptions of human exploration of the solar system that may harm society.

We recognize that a diverse range of groups need to be part of this conversation. There are many different views about the work that should happen in space. We recognize that NASA does not hold sole responsibility for determining the ethical path forward in space, as decisions made by commercial, international, and intergovernmental partners play a major role. Inclusive conversations help inform that work. Others have already argued that social scientists and engineers need to work together with inputs from stakeholders to design the future.

To begin to answer this need, NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) hosted an Artemis and Ethics Workshop. This workshop was held in Washington, DC from April 12th-14th, 2023 and brought together invited experts in social science fields and NASA managers to discuss ethical, legal, and social aspects (ELSA) of Artemis and human exploration in general. The goal of the workshop was to discuss issues and build connections that NASA managers can consider across variety of ethical issues surrounding Artemis.