[Problem profile] “Space governance” by Fin Moorhouse

Humanity’s long-run future could be vast in scale and duration, because almost all of it could lie beyond Earth. As private interest in space increases, early work on space governance could positively shape that spacefaring future, and make it less likely that a future in space goes irreversibly wrong. Of course, it also matters that humanity avoids catastrophe in the meantime, and space governance focused on arms control and diplomacy can help here too — mostly by reducing the risk of great power conflict. However, the path to making a really important difference on these issues looks much less clear and robust than in some of our other top recommended areas.

Narrated by the author.

---

Outline:

(00:00) Summary

(02:38) Introduction

(06:43) Why could this be a pressing problem?

(29:29) What are the major arguments against this problem being pressing?

(34:19) Interlude: some areas of space governance matter much less

(36:31) What can you do to help?

(40:21) Career capital options: how to gain experience

(42:13) Concrete questions in space governance you could research

(45:56) Learn more

---

First published:
February 13th, 2022

Source:
https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/space-governance