To say Elon Musk wants to be the East India Company of today would be an understatement. As we find ourselves on the brink of space colonization and Musk's goal of a colony on Mars, will history repeat itself with corporations expanding their reach? Trading out of both desire and necessity, companies like the East India Company gradually developed into colonial powers that seized control of much of Asia. Draining economies and ruling over others with a vengeance, they showed the world what imperialism looked like. Nowadays, companies like SpaceX take all of our money to "progress" and escape Earth. Sure sounds nice, except it's the same systematic empire.

Musk has frequently framed his plans to colonize Mars as an altruistic effort to preserve humanity's future. Recent revelations about his ambitions show this may not be the case. Documents presented during a recent court hearing regarding OpenAI show Musk attempting to gain complete control of the organization to access its estimated $80 billion war chest to finance the construction of a self-sustaining city on Mars. Who "owns" Mars? Will Martian colonies be ruled democratically or corporately?

Private industry in space could mean that space becomes a place where socioeconomic status on Earth is replicated. During the 1500s and 1600s, European trading companies raced to build colonies and seize resources. Will corporations now start racing each other to own parts of space? Sure, we call them settlements now instead of colonies, but it still sounds eerily similar.

Our biggest fear? Space is being ruled by whoever has the biggest pocketbook. It's getting to the point where only mega-corporations and filthy-rich Elon Musk types will be able to get up there. Space should be for everyone, not just the rich! If we don't change our current path, we're headed towards economic/space imperialism.

This is where the UN should step up its efforts. At the same time, we have treaties such as the Outer Space Treaty, which state that we should use space for peaceful purposes and to benefit all of humanity. These treaties were created at a time when only countries were venturing into space. Not trillion-dollar corporations.

Increasingly, people argue that new frontiers, such as outer space, Antarctica, and the Arctic, should be policed by the United Nations and considered the common property of all of us. This is the only way to manage resources and share the benefits fairly. If action is not taken, there will be conflict and exploitation by vested interests.

Space colonization will present ethical dilemmas.  Are we going to take our abusive tendencies into the universe, or will we take care of each other? If we mine another planet for its resources, should we care about pollution? I mean, sure, there is no life but..... shouldn't we still care?

Space travel can also be amazing. Technology can skyrocket, science can boom, and even world peace can become stronger as we explore. As long as everyone is allowed to reap the benefits, though. There have to be regulations and set morals.

Colonization itself also requires some analysis of narrative. The stories told about colonial powers portrayed them as more civilized and pushing forward into new progress. Now we try to sell ourselves the same story about space. There is nothing wrong with selling someone on an idea. However, narratives like these can be used to hide abuse of power. The narrative behind colonization needs to be analyzed if we are to avoid repeating our history.

Cooperative models are another solution. Programs like the ISS have shown us that working together in space is possible. If we expanded upon those models to include more people, we could give everyone a stake in space. That way, we can ensure all of humanity's future in space belongs to everyone, not just those who make it there.

But things are pointing towards becoming more competitive instead. Greed, technology, and the influx of cash provide more reasons for huge corporations to ramp up production as quickly as possible. This could result in an unregulated wild west if we let it.

Ultimately, Mars colonization could go one of two ways. It could provide us with room to grow as a collective knowledge base and ensure our species' safety, or it could turn into an insult to our home planet if left in the hands of a trillion-dollar East India Company.

The road ahead lies in striking a balance. We must foster innovation, but within guardrails that emphasize the common good. International institutions will need to evolve with the quickly developing space economy. Most importantly, we, as a species, will need to change our mindset from seeing space as a new frontier to conquer to seeing it as a frontier to manage together.

In conclusion, Mars colonization should not occur because history tends to repeat itself. By using history as a learning tool and remembering the ideals of equality, teamwork, and accountability, we can ensure our futures in the stars will not be the same.