By Christina Gabrieli, Banner Staff

Recently, space exploration has seen a shift in who is launching rockets into space; traditionally, government agencies like NASA were the forces behind these explorations, but currently, private billionaires have taken their place. Entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson are pioneering this new era of space travel, promising everything from lunar bases to colonies on Mars. However, as awe-inspiring as these ambitions may seem, they raise an important question: should billionaires be using their vast wealth to explore space while so many urgent problems persist here on Earth?

On one hand, space exploration has the potential to push humanity forward. Because they have fewer bureaucratic hurdles to overcome, private companies can accelerate innovation in ways that government agencies often cannot. Advocates argue that space exploration could solve some significant global challenges, such as resource shortages or overpopulation. Space tourism, which is becoming more of a potential reality, could spark new industries, generate jobs, and inspire scientific curiosity. From this perspective, billionaires in space are playing a crucial role in advancing the future of humanity.

On the other hand, is it moral for billionaires to spend billions on space ventures when countless problems like poverty and climate change persist on Earth? Critics argue that instead of funding space missions, these resources should be directed toward solving problems here at home. With incredible wealth comes responsibility, and many feel that billionaires’ priorities are misaligned when they choose to invest in space rather than in solutions that could improve life on Earth. Karina Artemiev ’25 added, “Billionaires in space are not really talked about in society these days. I think we should discuss it more and possibly vote for more policies to be made against it since it is hurting our planet with carbon emissions.” 

There is also the question of what rules or regulations will be put into place regarding the ownership of parts of space. Recent controversy erupted after Elon Musk refused to allow Ukrainian armies to use Starlink internet services, a company he owns, in an attack against Russian forces. Situations such as this one highlight just how much power billionaires like Musk already have from their involvement with satellites and other space technologies, so imagine the incredible power they would wield if they were able to claim ownership of entire planets or other major parts of space. This potential future could pave the way for space colonialism, where billionaires are the sole colonizers of space, wielding power on a scale never before imagined. However, Nell Sparks ’25 commented, “Although I think it is wrong that billionaires go into space, especially with the excess carbon emissions, we can’t control what they do. At the end of the day, it is not up to us what they use their money on, and we can’t control them.” 

In my view, while the possibilities of space exploration are undeniably exciting, the focus of these billionaire-led ventures seems misguided. There is a moral imperative to prioritize the very real and pressing issues we face here on Earth—whether it’s addressing poverty, climate change, or global inequality—before investing heavily in space travel that would also further contribute to our current climate crisis. It’s difficult to justify the vast sums of money being funneled into space initiatives when those resources could be used to make a tangible difference in the lives of millions right now. Additionally, more regulations regarding space ownership should be enforced first to ensure public wellbeing. I believe we should reach for the stars, but only after we’ve done everything we can to take care of our planet first.