MA Space and Society

For much of history outer space has seemed like an impassable boundary, representing the absolute limit of human experience and knowledge. Yet today we can no longer think of space in these remote terms. It has begun to infiltrate even the most mundane aspects of daily living, from navigation and broadcasting, to meteorology, finance and defence, and it powerfully informs the stories we tell about ourselves and our world. There are now around 10,000 satellites in orbit performing essential functions that underpin everyday life, and this number is expected to double over the next decade.

Space technologies are deeply embedded in our political, social, economic, artistic, and cultural systems, to the extent that we can no longer define space as ‘outer’. This growing reliance creates a rich environment for interdisciplinary study, especially as space shapes global cooperation, innovation, sustainable development, and cultural expression.

Yet this is only part of the story. Nearly 60 years after the first Moon landing, we can now begin to imagine the next chapters of human life unfolding in space. Space tourism is emerging, and an increase in numbers of orbital space stations and platforms, and perhaps the first settlers creating permanent bases on the Moon, seem likely to occur this century. These developments raise fundamental questions about how humans will live, work, and govern themselves in space. As new frontiers open, they will demand new legal, political, social, and cultural frameworks to support peaceful and productive interactions beyond Earth.