We are going to learn how to relate to the Earth and our own natural environment here by looking seriously at space colony ecologies. Rusty Schweickart Read Quote
When you look at the origins and evolution of life on Earth, it’s been severely affected by asteroid impacts through history. Rusty Schweickart Read Quote
An asteroid can literally destroy 80 or 90 percent of the species that are alive on Earth. These are big events. I mean, this is called extinction. Rusty Schweickart Read Quote
By preventing dangerous asteroid strikes, we can save millions of people, or even our entire species. And, as human beings, we can take responsibility for preserving this amazing evolutionary experiment of which we and all life on Earth are a part. Rusty Schweickart Read Quote
It is fantastic to think that one day we may be able to access fuel, materials and even water in space instead of digging deeper and deeper into our planet for what we need and then dragging it all up into orbit, against Earth’s gravity. Rusty Schweickart Read Quote
Asteroids are deep-space bodies orbiting the Sun, not the Earth, and traveling to one would mean sending humans into solar orbit for the very first time. Facing those challenges of radiation, navigation and life support on a months-long trip millions of miles from home would be a perfect learning journey before a Mars trip. Rusty Schweickart Read Quote
When you have an asteroid threatening Earth, it’s uncertain where it’s going to hit until the last minute; the decision to take action has to be coordinated by the international community. Rusty Schweickart Read Quote
No government in the world today has explicitly assigned the responsibility for planetary protection to any of its agencies. Rusty Schweickart Read Quote
We have the capability – physically, technically – to protect the Earth from asteroid impacts. We are now able to very slightly and subtly reshape the solar system in order to enhance human survival. Rusty Schweickart Read Quote
