Ethical Issues Regarding Informed Consent for Minors for Space Tourism

This paper describes the difficulty with informed consent and debates whether or not whether adults should be able to ethically, morally, and legally consent for their children during the high‐risk activity of space tourism. The experimental nature of space vehicles combined with the high likelihood of medical complications and the destination places space tourism legally in the category of “adventure activities,” which include adventure travel to exotic locations as well as adventure sports, such as mountain climbing, rafting, etc. which carry a high risk of danger (http://rescommunis.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/interview‐tracey‐l‐knutson‐adventure‐sports‐defense‐attorney‐on‐space‐tourism‐risk‐and‐informed‐consente/). However, unlike other adventure sports, adults currently cannot consent for their minor children. Other topics also receive attention, such as a “mature minors” clause, radiation exposure of potential future children, and other difficulties preventing adults from legally consenting to space travel.