As humans “boldly go” (can’t beat a bit of Star Trek) space-wards to mine, settle and explore, Nathaniel Scharping asks whether we need a preemptive anti-mining campaign to protect our solar system from rampant exploitation before it is too late.

“As with national parks on Earth, planetary parks would prohibit mining or development, preserving the wilderness character of special places. We might even have a Planetary Park Service staffed by spacefaring nations.”
— Charles Cockell, Astrobiologist