As they settle in the space, humans will learn how to manage and support closed ecosystems, astronaut Dumitru Prunariu told a ceremony on Monday in Targu Mures where he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Petru Maior University of Targu Mures.
“As conclusions to the human exploration of interplanetary space, in terms of useful things and benefits, we can say that as we settle in space, we will learn, among other things, how to manage and support closed ecosystems. Such knowledge could in the end transform the Earth and preserve it as a natural habitat for all species, with an economy that could be endlessly sustained, based on complete waste recycling and renewable energy resources,” said Prunariu.
He went on to say that when people are sent into the space, the range of issues derived from the effort is very wide when compared to sending robots into the space, and the next generation of space explorers, the next generation of space travellers will need a more thorough approach and underrating of all aspects of cosmic flights.
“The people who have reached the cosmos are no longer the citizens of a country, but they become the citizens of the entire planet Earth, being concerned with the planet’s global sustainability. Piloted space exploration is a major source of innovation, undoubtedly leading to progress. Entire societies of the world can benefit from that, given that the possibilities for applications in related areas and the technologies developed for space research are countless. Finally, settlements outside Earth will also provide a reservoir of terrestrial civilisation and life, including the development of vital food plant species and varieties, that no planetary catastrophe will be able to destroy, irrespective of whether such catastrophe is of natural origins, such as the impact of asteroids, volcanic eruptions or pandemics, or simple human computational errors such as a nuclear or biologic war or other dangerous global experiments,” added the astronaut.
Prunariu said the human factor is essential in this new era of development and that what is inconceivable now can become a necessity in the future.