I'm deep green myself, but I think that having to address the cold hard (vacuum) realities of space could definitely help more realize just what it means to live within the limits of one's habitat.

The Earth is generally a rather forgiving place, space is not. As long as humanity doesn't become hysterical or catatonic luddites after some minor loss of a few volunteers life* when something goes wrong up there, we ought to be able to learn from the experience.

*Honoring them is one thing, but "never again" overreactions don't help. Remember that many people are leaping at the chance to be one of the few to die in space; not that that's how it is normally phrased, but nevertheless…