Elon Musk’s Starship may be more of a “moral catastrophe than bold step in space exploration.”

University of Hertfordshire astrobiologist Samantha Rolfe is concerned about interplanetary cross-contamination — that in its relentless drive to reach and eventually settle on Mars, SpaceX may inadvertently destroy any extraterrestrial life that already exists on the Red Planet. Rolfe asks, “Can we be confident that, while pushing the boundaries of human exploration in such a short time frame, corners won’t be cut or standards won’t be allowed to slip?” (Futurism — October 3, 2019)