The branch of thought that asks what it means for creatures of Earth to leave it, and whether we should. Is spaceflight humanity's greatest adventure or its most expensive distraction? When we look back at Earth from orbit, do we see unity or just a really small planet with really big problems? And if we find other life, will we finally stop fighting each other, or will we just have new people to fight? Spaceflight philosophy is the art of asking profound questions while watching a rocket launch on YouTube, eating chips, and feeling simultaneously inspired and inadequate.
Example: "He watched a live stream of a rocket launch and entered spaceflight philosophy. 'There go humans,' he thought, 'strapped to controlled explosions, hurling themselves into the void, all to answer questions we didn't even know to ask a generation ago. And I'm sitting here, wondering if I should order pizza. The contrast was humbling. He ordered the pizza anyway, because some questions are more immediate than others."
by Abzugal February 14, 2026
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