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Meet a Space Scientist: Andreas Losch

This month we have interviewed Dr. Andreas Losch, Privatdozent at the faculty of Theology of the University of Zurich. In this interview, Andreas told us more about his research on Space and Planetary Sustainability.

Andreas Losch

     What is the main area of your research?

I call my research focus "planetary sustainability", which is a transitory term meant to mark the conceptional change from perceiving the Earth as a globe to recognizing it rather as a planet, within a space environment (more details in this article). Additional to the traditional sustainability definition by the Brundtland commission (comprising ecological, economic and social dimensions to perpetuate the fulfillment of humankind’s needs for the next generations), the planetary aspect of sustainability leads to the acknowledgement that there will be an end to human civilization if humankind does not move into space sooner or later. Concerning space mining, this move might happen in our age.

Earth from Space
Credits: NASA

What is your connection to the Space sector?

After a PhD on the constructive relation of science and religion, and editorial work in the Martin Buber Edition, I worked three years for the astrophysicists at Bern, in the project "Life beyond our planet?". This was followed by my own research projects on planetary sustainability, initially also at the CTI in Princeton/NJ, which was inspired by the experiences and observations I made amongst the astrophysicists at Bern. The project is currently situated there, but I am very happy to join the UZH Space Hub, as I am now also private lecturer at the UZH.

What do you like most about your job?

It was very inspiring to join the Millenium Space Conference of the United Nations UNISPACE+50 as principal investigator of my own project on planetary sustainability. It would be fantastic to see a spinoff of the research impacting world politics in a good way, more on this see below!

What do you like about Space?

I find it most inspiring to deal with the infinite possibilities and challenges of space. We should not forget, however, how precious to us spaceship Earth really is, and we should take better care of our "planet A". I view it as a huge task to integrate the space community with the sustainability discussion regarding our planet.

18 SDG

What would be the greatest achievement in the Space Sector?

I am not the only one (although maybe I was the first) asking for this, but it would make much sense to me to add an 18th Sustainable Development Goal, best called ‘Space Environment’, to the current 17 UN Global Goals, as a sort of a political demand to complete what then could be called the "Planetary Plan". Space is vast, but our direct space environment with its orbits is a limited resource, and this needs to be duly acknowledged and taken into account in our development.

You are part of the UZH Space Hub: What do you think this will mean for you and your research?

I hope I will benefit from a growing network and its academic exchange, gain increased visibility for the project, and I also hope it will help me to secure funding for advancing this most important task further. Currently, I am preparing a workshop to develop the 18th SDG on space environment, and I am looking for funding to focus my work on it.

More on the project: www.planetarysustainability.info
Support opportunities: www.saveourplanet.info