What will space migration look like? | Simone Blaschka | TEDxHochschuleBremerhaven

Quick Overview

Space migration requires diplomacy and collaboration between nations, rather than conflict, to develop sustainable habitats on other planets, as exemplified by historical science fiction narratives that often focused on cooperation over war.

Key Points: The speaker, Simone Blaschka, Director of the German Immigration Center in Bremerhaven, connects historical science fiction themes to modern space migration considerations. She references Kurd Lasswitz's 1897 story, "Auf zwei Planeten" (On Two Planets), which depicted cooperation between humans and Martians, contrasting with narratives of war. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, ratified by over 100 nations including the US, China, and Russia, promotes outer space as common human property, advocating diplomacy over conflict. Current space migration discussions often focus on the need for high technology for life support, but the speaker emphasizes that diplomacy and collaboration are crucial for successful colonization. Lasswitz's story showed three men traveling to the Moon via hot air balloon in 1897, landing at the North Pole and meeting Martians, ending in war, which serves as a cautionary tale. The speaker argues that the challenges of space migration, such as creating habitable environments without windows, require international collaboration, drawing parallels between historical science fiction and contemporary needs.

Context: Simone Blaschka, Director of the German Immigration Center in Bremerhaven, delivers a TEDx talk contrasting historical science fiction narratives about space exploration, particularly those featuring cooperation, with the reality of geopolitical conflict. She uses the example of Kurd Lasswitz's early science fiction to illustrate how visions of interstellar relations have evolved, emphasizing that current efforts in space migration must prioritize diplomatic solutions, drawing support from international agreements like the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

Detailed Analysis

Simone Blaschka begins by questioning the audience about living on the Moon, immediately pivoting to the idea that thinking about space migration often overlooks terrestrial problems like climate change and war. She then introduces a historical context by referencing science fiction, specifically Kurd Lasswitz's 1897 novel, "Auf zwei Planeten" (On Two Planets), which she shows an illustration of (0:44). This story, which describes three men traveling to the Moon in a hot air balloon in 1897 and meeting Martians, ultimately ends in war over resources, reflecting ongoing human conflicts. Blaschka contrasts this with the treaty governing space: the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, signed by major powers like the US, China, and Russia, which declares outer space the common heritage of mankind, promoting diplomacy over conflict. She argues that the challenges of future space migration—such as creating self-sufficient habitats—demand similar international cooperation rather than repeating historical patterns of war over resources. She points out that while high technology is needed for life support (e.g., breathing apparatus), the framework for managing this migration must be diplomatic, echoing the cooperative themes found in some older science fiction, like the friendship depicted between humans and Martians in Lasswitz's work, rather than the conflict-driven outcomes seen in other narratives.