An ethical duty: Let astronautical development unfold – to make the people more secure

• Astronautical development has emerged as a vital endeavor for the human future.
• State sponsored space activities have stumbled and failed to benefit civil society.
• Relevant space efforts have to grow from civilian, private, and commercial initiatives.
• Outlines cover technology status, education and support initiatives, space projects.
• A summary addresses provisions to secure space benefits – and the people themselves.

In examining alternative space-development models, one observes that Heinlein postulated the first Moon flight as the outcome of the focused action of an individual – building upon an ample commercial aerospace transportation infrastructure. The same technological basis and entrepreneurial drive would then sustain a fast human and economic expansion on three new planets. Instead, historically, humans reached the Moon thanks to a “Faustian bargain” between astronautical developers and governments. This approach brought the early Apollo triumphs, but it also created the presumption of this method as the sole one for enabling space development. Eventually, the application of this paradigm caused the decline of the astronautical endeavor. Thus, just as conventional methods became unable to sustain the astronautical endeavor, space development appeared as vital, e.g., to satisfy the people׳s basic needs (metabolic resources, energy, materials, and space), as shown elsewhere. Such an endeavor must grow from actions generating new wealth through commercial activities to become self-supporting. Acquisition and distribution of multiform space resources call, however, for a sound ethical environment, as predatory governments can easily forfeit those resources.The paper begins the search for means apt to maintain a societal environment suited for this purpose. Among numerous initiatives needed, dissemination of factual information and moral-right education support take a central position: In fact, the vital condition for true Astronautics – a vast increase in actual respect of moral rights – can also become its best consequence, as the prosperity from the space arena empowers the people, making them materially safer and more secure in their fundamental moral rights.