space ethics

Inspired by our ethics curriculum, Winnie Tang, an aeronautical engineer and volunteer ethics teacher, has written a paper for the International Astronautical Congress, taking place in Sydney in October, on integrating the ethics of space exploration into science education for primary children. 

Winnie is a systems engineer working at Thales, with a degree in Aerospace Engineering (Hons) and Physics from UNSW. These pictures of Winnie were taken at the Houston Space Centre and Frontiers of Flight Museum, USA.

How Winnie became an ethics volunteer
I have done volunteering and fundraising my whole life, I love giving back to the community and meeting people from all walks of life.

I was volunteering at a soup kitchen in Bondi and, in a particularly memorable moment, a group of young primary school girls came in to collect the cupcakes we’d baked for a single mother who was unable to cook for herself or her family while she was fighting cancer. They were such bright little kids, so full of energy, kindness and compassion. I was struck by how remarkable they were, showing such understanding and empathy about the situation at such a young age. That’s when I realised how I wanted to be part of children’s lives in a more meaningful way. Their ability to think, understand and empathise inspired me to be part of the process to support and nurture children as they grow.

When I started looking for more local opportunities (since Bondi was too far from my place), I came across Primary Ethics on Seek. I decided to volunteer at my local primary school in Hurstville, where I had also gone as a little girl, so it was nostalgic and exciting to return as a teacher! I had (and still have) an amazing experience teaching children. They’re cheeky, smart, creative and their answers often surprise me in the best way possible. I feel like I learn from them just as much as they learn from me.

Ethics in space
Ethics is integrated into my job every single day. Ethics establishes the principles for engineers and guides us in our professional conduct, prioritising the safety, health and welfare of the public, along with honesty, integrity and competence in our professional lives. Over the past few years, we’ve seen how fast space activity is accelerating. Commercial launches, lunar missions and talk of settlements in space are no longer science fiction. This raises major ethical questions that our community is currently talking about.

Winnie gives a lightning talk about her paper.

Young people are ready!
Teaching in primary classrooms convinced me that young people are ready to grapple with the ethical questions these developments raise, if we give them the right tools. Additionally, the IAC (International Astronautical Congress) will be held in Australia soon! This was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss and I decided to put together something on a subject I am passionate about. So I wrote Inspiring Ethical Minds: Integrating Space Exploration Ethics into Early-Stage Education. [The full paper was published after 3 October in the IAC 2025 conference proceedings. See below.]

What does my paper argue?
My paper proposes a practical case for introducing space ethics into Stage 3 (Years 5–6) classrooms. It focuses on three themes that are already shaping international policy and industry practice: planetary protection, resource allocation and human settlement (space colonisation). No one knows what the right answer is! We are currently still debating what kind of laws should exist in that domain. The growth of the industry opens up many ethical dilemmas that we are yet to catch up on. 

Why space ethics, why now?
Global frameworks like the Outer Space Treaty, ongoing UN COPUOS discussions and the Artemis Accords show that questions of contamination, resource equity and governance are being debated today. These aren’t just technical issues; they’re deeply ethical. Topics surrounding sustainability and AI are no longer just applicable to what we have on Earth, these concepts surround space too. Bringing space ethics into primary classrooms connects science learning with real-world decision-making and helps students see themselves as participants in those conversations.

How does it fit the curriculum?
The approach aligns with the NSW Stage 3 Science and Technology syllabus. They start learning about Earth and Space at this stage and it supports ACARA’s general capabilities (ethical understanding, critical and creative thinking, literacy, personal and social capability and intercultural understanding). In other words, I don’t want to add content on top, but rather use ethical inquiry as a lens while students study the solar system and technologies and design solutions.

What does it look like in class?
I have proposed classroom implementation following the proven Primary Ethics pedagogy. Each theme comes with a short, concrete scenario and structured questions. (This is further elaborated in the paper.) These activities are deliberately open-ended. Students learn how to think by giving reasons, listening respectfully, changing their minds when a better argument appears, rather than being led to a predetermined conclusion.

What have I found?
Embedding ethics in science units is feasible without cognitive overload; it naturally assesses syllabus outcomes (eg. comparing planetary features, applying design thinking, communicating conclusions) while developing ethical literacy. The approach is grounded in scientific content and age-appropriate dialogue, making it suitable for Stage 3 and adaptable to other stages.

What next?
Because both the research base and the ethical themes are international, the framework can be adapted beyond NSW and Australia. The next step is collaboration with curriculum specialists (Primary Ethics) and teachers to refine lessons, pilot them and share resources.