The role of an astronaut is in flux
The dream of an interstellar Earthling diaspora, one that could guarantee our continuation as a species, is hugely appealing, both as grist for science fiction and as a road map for our human future. But for Chiao, who is stoic on these matters, deliverance in space is a mirage. “It’s important to develop a way to deflect asteroids and develop a way to have humans sustainably live on a place like Mars, but to me, at some point we end,” he told me. “I know it sounds a bit odd, but there’s some comfort in that knowledge. We’re not in this race to save ourselves. There seems to be order in the universe, and probably every group of intelligent life has its own cycle. It’s okay to be extinct.” In that scenario, our robotic spacecraft may outlive us. Even now, they are our most daring emissaries: They can surf the sun, explore hostile planets, and even break into the interstellar frontier. But while these spacecraft are our scouts, many people will always prefer to see …
