Earth Observation and Surveillance from Space: the Urgency of Vigilance

摘要

Space now provides extraordinary resources for gathering information about human activities all over the globe. But does all this surveillance really improve the lot of the Earthlings? The question gets a mixed response: the spectre of Big Brother both attracts and repels. It is now essential for the Space community to participate in a public debate about the ethics of surveillance which, even more than a set of rules and regulations, should lay the intellectual groundwork for greater harmony in society as a whole.