Some space-settlement theorists have argued that the need for artificial atmospherics creates the potential for autocratic control of the stuff of existence. Dr. Charles Cockell, an astrobiologist, has argued on this basis that there should be “engineering for liberty,” such as making sure oxygen-creation systems are distributed rather than centralized. We don’t know whether this sort of thing will work, but it’s likely that the politics of space settlements will be influenced by the physics of space settlements, and not necessarily for the good.
