Astrobiology and the Law: What Policies are Needed to Protect Extraterrestrial Life?
Friday, November 20, 2026 2:00pm to 3:30pm EST
The question of whether there is life on other planets is one of the most profound and enduring mysteries. The study of life in the universe is the purview of the discipline known as astrobiology. Since the Viking Mission in the 1970s we have been searching for life on other planets like Mars or moons like Enceladus and Europa in our solar system. And we are preparing to continue those searches with both manned and unmanned missions in the near future.
But are we psychologically, sociologically, and morally prepared to find extraterrestrial life – even microbes – and behave in a way that will not violate the well-being of that life?
Our track record towards other animals on earth has been very troublesome and fraught with inconsistencies, exploitation, and abuse. It is likely we will treat any life forms on other planets in the same way. Therefore, we should be putting in place legal protections for extraterrestrials prior to finding them.
Many authors have argued for a range of protections and enforceable ethical standards, but none have been adopted. Yet there is little agreement about whether extraterrestrial life should even have rights or how we should enact a moral stance towards it.
In this webinar we will discuss these issues with astrobiologists and legal experts who have provided thought leadership in this area.
Participants:
– Kathy Hessler and Lori Marino (hosts), Co-directors of the Animal Law & Science Project, George Washington University
– Amy Wilson (moderator), animal law attorney, Co‑Founder & Executive Director of Animal Law Reform South Africa
– Mark Lupisella, senior NASA engineer and scientist, Goddard Space Flight Center
– Chelsea Haramia, philosopher and ethicist, Center for Science and Thought, University of Bonn
– Aure Allexandre, international space law expert, Futures-Oriented Governance of Outer Space
– Co-hosted by the Kimmela Center