As part of the United Nations World Space Forum in Bonn (3–6 December 2024), AIA NRW organised a side event titled “Responsibility in Space for Sustainability on Earth” on 2 December 2024. In his keynote address, ESA astronaut and astrophysicist Gerhard Thiele shared insights from his personal experiences in space travel. He reflected on his 1998 space mission, during which the Earth was geographically surveyed, and emphasised the central role of responsibility, particularly highlighting the importance of teamwork and communication, without which such a significant endeavour would not be possible.
“Dr Thiele’s reflections on the importance of communication in space mission planning and execution provided a valuable perspective on the nature of responsibility and responsible behaviours in outer space,” said our Fellow Adam Bower. He, along with Raúl González Muñoz and Chelsea Haramia, both of whom are also members of our Fellow cohort researching outer space affairs, commented on Dr Thiele’s keynote. Picking up on the theme of responsibility, Chelsea remarked:
“Gerhard Thiele encouraged us all to think in terms of possibilities. As many are aware, in addition to considering whether we can do something, we must also think carefully about whether we should do it. At the same time, even if we conclude that we should do something, it does not necessarily follow that we should act at any time or under any circumstances. Therefore, I believe it is essential, whenever we decide we should act, to seriously consider that timing matters and that the very same act might be permissible at one time but not at another.”
This was followed by a lively discussion with the audience, which explored a broad range of topics, including working in international and intercultural teams, plans for further colonisation of Mars and the Moon, and the fundamental importance of responsibility in space exploration.
Keynote
Astronaut Gerhard Thiele
Gerhard Thiele, born on 2 September 1953 in Heidenheim, Germany, earned a Ph.D. in Physics in 1985. After postdoctoral research at Princeton, he joined the German astronaut corps in 1987. In 2000, Thiele flew on NASA’s STS-99 mission, mapping Earth’s topography. He later became Head of the Astronaut Division at the European Astronaut Centre and oversaw ESA’s astronaut selection in 2009. Since retiring from ESA in 2015, he has been a lecturer at RWTH Aachen University.
Speaker
Chelsea Haramia
Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Spring Hill College, USA
Raúl González Muñoz
Lecturer in Space Policy and Economy at the University of Leicester (UK)
Adam Bower
Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of St Andrews
Güneş Ünüvar
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Luxembourg Centre for European Law (LCEL), University of Luxembourg
Contact
Lisa Hartmann
Public Relations and Events Officer
