Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your research.

A: I am a final-year Ph.D. candidate at the Unit of Environmental Science and Technology of the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, and an Electrical & Computer Engineer with an interdisciplinary MSc in “Environment and Development” offered by the same university. I am also the Co-Founder and the Director of Research & Education of the Greek NewSpace Society, the not-for-profit and volunteer-led Chapter of the US-based National Space Society in Greece.

My Ph.D. research investigates the application of Environmental Economics tools to the issues of Planetary Protection that may occur during future private space endeavors. The goal of my Ph.D. work is to offer novel insights that will highlight the importance of Planetary Protection as an enabler of future private space activities in a sustainable manner. In particular, I am currently working towards the quantitative economic valuation of the societal benefits of Planetary Protection, as they are perceived by groups of the public, for the case study of Greece, by applying methods from Environmental Economics. This kind of research has never been attempted before in the published literature, so this first case study is an initial proof-of-concept that will hopefully provide a novel method for the study of Planetary Protection policies to the international academic community.

Q: What pushed you toward studying Planetary Protection? What is it like doing research in that field? 

A: After obtaining my Master’s, I decided to further explore the field of Planetary Protection, especially due to its significance to human space exploration. After an extensive review of the relevant literature, I decided to pursue a particularly important knowledge gap in this line of research at the Ph.D. level. My idea was to apply methods from Environmental Economics to the Planetary Protection problems that may arise in the future due to private space activities between Earth and Mars that will most certainly involve human crews. This kind of research was the first of its kind not only in Greece but also on a global level, so I accepted the high risk and I started working on my Ph.D. without any funding at all. 

Space research in Greece is heavily underfunded, because of a lack of both a national space strategy and of the necessary human, material, and financial resources to support it. Still, despite this unfavorable environment, some university groups are actively working on space-related projects and are contributing to major space missions and to significant scientific discoveries. My own line of research was completely novel, and the field was largely unknown in Greece, so I had to persevere in the face of multiple difficulties. Currently, I am self-funding every aspect of my Ph.D. research with my side job. So far, I have published my Ph.D. research in international academic journals and I have presented it in international scientific conferences, workshops, and summer schools thanks to highly competitive grants.

Q: We’re living in interesting times from a political, environmental, and biological perspective. What are some applications of your field, or advances in Planetary Protection that you are expecting to see in the near future? 

A: Indeed we are! The expected impact of my Ph.D. research is the only motivation that has kept me focused on my work all these years, even in the face of hardships. The private space industry is in a transformational phase, and some companies have already revealed their plans with respect to future human activities on Mars. These kinds of plans have raised significant issues from an environmental ethics point of view. The current Planetary Protection policy is based on international law, which means that it cannot directly regulate such private activities. 

My Ph.D. research is expected to demonstrate for the first time in the published literature the application of a method to quantitatively estimate the perceived economic benefits of establishing a national Planetary Protection framework, in order to regulate future private activities between Earth and Mars. The case study for the application of my proposed method is Greece. To achieve an impact as great as possible, I recently submitted a short open-access article of my research to the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. The article was accepted for inclusion in the special issue around the “implications of emerging technologies on inequalities and sustainable development” that will soon be published in partnership with the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth, in preparation for the 23rd Session of the UN Commission on Science & Technology for Development. In particular, my article is a Policy Memorandum to the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development that urges the UN system to stimulate a novel planetary protection framework for emerging private space activities, in order to counteract the inequitable distribution of any unintended negative social, economic, and environmental consequences of interplanetary biological cross-contamination, and to facilitate economic development in a respectful, sustainable, and responsible manner. This peer-reviewed journal article will be freely available in this link in late April or early May.

Q: With the ongoing environmental crisis and the colonial aspirations of early space exploration, a lot of people are becoming increasingly critical of space-related research. What is your take on the subject as someone who studies the interaction between Earth and extraterrestrial matter?

A: It’s a common misconception that space exploration is heavily funded while most pressing environmental problems here on Earth receive little attention. In reality, space exploration is a highly coordinated endeavor with multiple competitive and collaborative phases that is very efficient in delivering results even with moderate investment. It is the degree of organization and the high-quality scientific breakthroughs achieved that give the impression of a heavily funded industry that diverts financial resources from real problems. This kind of false dilemma of Earth versus Space originates from ignorance. As I showed in my Master’s thesis, manned space exploration has strong parallels with sustainable development on Earth. Joint R&D frameworks to tackle both kinds of problems at the same time are possible, and technology transfer activities from the space industry to terrestrial markets are already abundant. My personal take on the subject is that there is really no dilemma here: humanity must invest both in the sustainable development on Earth and in the sustainable development of outer space activities if we want a long and prosperous future for our species (and possibly for other species as well). 

Of course, colonial practices must be avoided. Perhaps a novel extended version of a future Planetary Protection policy that will encompass ethical aspects to complement the scientific ones will prove useful in guiding humanity’s space exploration and development endeavors in a responsible, equitable, and prudent manner.    

Q: Thank you! Anything else you’d like to add?

A: I really appreciate your interest in my work and in Planetary Protection! It is crucial to raise awareness on the environmental aspects of preventing the biological cross-contamination of our solar system’s celestial bodies, as there is still time to figure out a responsible exploration and commercialization paradigm that will involve all the stakeholders in the discussions from early on. 

The reality of science is such that it often turns everything on its head. Taking space exploration into account when discussing environmental conservation redefines everything - including our responsibility to the worlds we seek to explore. In George's words:

Humanity’s expansion towards outer space does not have to repeat past mistakes. It is time to create a future in which humans will be a prudent species that will exert thoughtful stewardship over “all of the planets, all of the time”.