ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a philosophical justification of space exploration. There are two reasons for undertaking this task. The first is that little has been done on the way of a philosophical examination of the field, even though one of philosophy’s main concerns is the justification of all important human enterprises. The second is that the standard justifications offered for space exploration are not truly satisfactory, and that philosophy, particularly philosophy of science, can be very helpful in this regard. Developments in the philosophy of science during the second part of the century offer a much more complex picture of science. The supporter of exploration can explain to the social critic why the previous benefits of exploration were not a fortunate accident: they were the result of the inevitable expansion of opportunity that is part and parcel of scientific exploration.
