Kiran Krishnan Nair suggests that Mars is unchartered, unknown and unearthly and yet attracts all of humanity. The hazards of the endeavor are overwhelmed by the hype and hope surrounding the enterprise. A variety of private individuals, commercial organisations and national space agencies are engrossed in efforts at landing and inhabiting Mars. However, these efforts are disjointed and there exists little or no coordination. The aspirations and hazards are immense, the resources scarce and costly. Consequently, left ungoverned, the potential for conflict and tragedy in space exploration is high.
There exists a critical need to regulate and coordinate affairs in this area right now when the technologies and legislation are yet immature. This calls for a credible, institutionalized governance structure. This paper proposes an expansion of the existing United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs - UNOOSA - to take on the mantle of space exploration governance and to continue with incremental progressions later.
I2MWP ...But...since when does the UN do anything well enough to handle outer space affairs? It will be the wild west again ...for awhile. Further, we should practice on the Moon first, then off to Mars after 10 years or so of learning how to operate in space and on other worlds.
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