Landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth within a decade was a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. com.ezproxy.snhu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&si Another good example is Kathryn Denning, a social scientist who has worked with the International Academy of Astronautics, International Space University, NASA Astrobiology Institute, and Just Space Alliance. To take only one, imagine where we would be without applications satellites. United States. Furthermore, many other countries became involved in space activities through the participation of their scientists in specific missions. Presentation on Space Exploration through the Social Science - Studocu In the United States, early studies of the Sun were undertaken by a series of Orbiting Solar Observatory satellites (launched 196275) and the astronaut crews of the Skylab space station in 197374, using that facilitys Apollo Telescope Mount. For example, an anthropologist has argued for considering the possibility that attempts to message alien worlds might be dangerous to the aliens (Traphagan 2017). One 2020. race. During much of this period, space as area of research, discovery and action was a field of study which has been ruled for a long time by "natural sciences" only. (n.d.). In particular, humanists often seek to complicate existing answers, especially if they appear to be, as H.L. Futures 108:414. Both lenses look at the contributions of people Since the scientists involved in METI are not trained in ethical analysis, public policy, law, or even basic principles of social science such as informed consent, experts in these (and other) areas are clearly needed. Second, for many humanistic questions, refusing to attempt a thoughtful answer is simply not a viable option. understand what the best steps are to Oxford: Oxford University Press. what are some of the ways that the four lenses of the liberal arts: 3-1 Discussion Available on Jul 9, 2022 11:59 PM. The Value of Science in Space Exploration. Follow this link to skip to the main content. Thus, depending on the lens we are looking through, the cultural artifacts we encounterthe constructed items that convey the benchmarks of a particular culture or social groupwill tell a different story. craters, tectonic processes and volcanoes, and the lunar The space race was then followed by an era of space cooperation, highlighted by the International Space Station. Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. Living on Mars: Aerospace Crew Accelerates Human Space Exploration Knowledge, USSF-67 and GPS III-6: Record-Breaking Back-to-Back Successful National Security Space Launches, Expanding Integration Across Government and Commercial Space for Speed and Resiliency, USSF-44: Space Force Successfully Completes First Mission on Falcon Heavy Rocket, Aerospace Ups R&D in Huntsville, Anticipated Growth of 20 Percent, Aerospace Awarded Potential $621M Engineering Services Contract by NASA, Aerospace Grows in Albuquerque by 25 Percent, Mission Success of Falcon 9 GPS III-2 Launch, 2310 E. El Segundo Blvd., El Segundo, CA 90245. Social Issues in Space Exploration: A Call for Broader Dialogue. Late in World War II, London was attacked by 200-mile-range V-2 missiles, which arched 60 miles high over the English Channel at more than 3,500 miles per hour. From left to right: Mission Specialists(MS) Richard J. Hieb, Thomas D. Akers, and Pierre J. Thuot. past and is ever more prudent for our future. Anthropological studies such as archaeoastronomy (how people understood the sky in the past) and ethnoastronomy (current cultural perceptions of the sky), have investigated how humans throughout history have looked up to the sky and wondered where we come from, why were here, and where were going. NRC [National Research Council]. In 2020, I started a four-year Australian Research Council-funded project calledAustralia a Space Faring Nation:Imaginaries and Practices of Space Futures. more efficient advancements to explore space As a colleague observed, Everyone will say this stuff is important, but if you want to know whether they mean it, look at their budget.. So many questions about inequality, injustice, colonialism, and environmental impact can remain unanswered when these discourses of outer space terraforming, colonization, and exploitation get mobilized. This volume is the response to that need. Our search to satiate our appetite for that, which lies beyond our imaginations and terrestrial home has been the root cause for the formation of collective institutions and international efforts to further space exploration. The lens of natural science on technology and society - Medium https://web-b-ebscohost- Until recently, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) was limited to passive listening. Consider the following questions that we might ask in thinking about the social science lens and how her joining NASA and completing mission STS-47 impacted the world. You may use as many slides per section as you think you need. Types of Evidence How do professionals from each lens gather information? nasa-data-used-to-discover-eighth-planet-circling-. Their consideration requires the involvement of those with relevant expertise. The scientific communitys approach to METI has been strangely political, which challenges the model of science as the disinterested search for truth (Brin 2014; Smith 2020). Plan carefully: Do not simply throw a few dollars at a random humanist and ask them to organize something on the social stuff. As with anything else, substantive and effective collaboration requires time, effort, and communication. Space launch systems have been designed to reduce costs and improve dependability, safety, and reliability. 3). Kelly Smith is a professor in the Departments of Philosophy & Religion and Biological Sciences at Clemson University. Such overconfidence helps explain the long history of scientists with (putatively) good intentions doing really bad things (Jones 1993; Kopp 1999; MacDonald 2014). Consider this interaction between faculty in a humanities college and a vice president for research with a background in engineering. How many collections discussing the social dimensions of science and engineering contain a contribution from a humanist? To carry out the investigations required for addressing these scientific questions, the United States, Europe, the Soviet Union, and Japan developed a variety of space missions, often in a coordinated fashion. The current stance of the scientific community is not even consistent, since there is a tacit agreement (albeit a vague one) that scientists should not unilaterally respond to any signals SETI might receive, but no restriction on more concerning attempts to initiate contact. NASA has worked with artists likeNorman RockwellandAndy Warhol since the 1960s, seeking the help of these artists particularly to document NASA missions and research. To accept cookies, click continue. Review, 33(4), 67+. The Meaning of Liberty Beyond Earth. Scientific research in space can be divided into five general areas: (1) solar and space physics, including study of the magnetic and electromagnetic fields in space and the various energetic particles also present, with particular attention to their interactions with Earth, (2) exploration of the planets, moons, asteroids, comets, meteoroids, and dust in the solar system, (3) study of the origin, evolution, and current state of the varied objects in the universe beyond the solar system, (4) research on nonliving and living materials, including humans, in the very low gravity levels of the space environment, and (5) study of Earth from space. With more people exploring and doing research on mars it make you sit back and wonder can humans actually live on another planet in this solar system? Among many other missions, NASA has launched a number of satellites, including Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED, 2001); the Japanese-U.S.-U.K. collaboration Hinode (2006); and Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO, 2006), part of its Solar Terrestrial Probes program. I am hoping that this combination of social science and creative approaches may ultimately animate and inform a more diverse public engagement with space. In this post Thelma Obiakor, argues that by appreciating the contribution of the social sciences, humanities and arts (SHAPE disciplines) it is possible to develop a more complete understanding of space exploration as a collective human endeavour, something that is often neglected by . However, planning is underway for more systematic, and thus potentially more problematic, attempts. Journal of the British Interplanetary Society 69(8). Have we found any signs of life? This new project on space is partly inspired by a range of new critical work on space coming out over the past decade in anthropology, sociology, and human geography, and in the humanities and arts more widely. Become Premium to read the whole document. Another important characteristic is the use of the scientific method to carry out research. Des Marais DJ, Nuth JA III, Allamandola LJ, Boss AP, Farmer JD, Hoehler TM, Jakosky BM, Meadows VS, Phorille A, Runnegar B, and 1 other. Space exploration can be viewed as the quintessential achievement of technological and scientific modernity. We use cookies on this site to understand how you use our content, and to give you the best browsing experience. Astrosociology (Social Science of Space Exploration) After reading the module overview, what are some of the ways that the lenses relate to space exploration? The first scientific discovery made with instruments orbiting in space was the existence of the Van Allen radiation belts, discovered by Explorer 1 in 1958. [1] Neither term is perfect; in particular, humanist here should not be confused with secular humanism, and I recognize that social scientists may chafe at being lumped in with the humanities. (As someone who has spent years in the trenches fighting creationism, I share scientists frustration.) Not Space exploration is foundational to climate science because it provides us with more information about the Earth, our solar system and the role of gases in our atmosphere, and nuclear energy has played an important role powering our missions into space. McLean VA. Quast PE. Building Australia's Largest Rocket Testing Facility, Spiral Blues Edge One Computer Successfully Commissioned in Orbit, Indigenous Students Internship Opportunity with NASAs JPL. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Our advancement as a human species has been spurred by a combination of technical and intellectual progress. What role do the humanities and social sciences have in space? NASA is on a journey to Mars, with a goal of sending humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s. Im interested in studying how, both purposefully and unintentionally, social and technological imaginaries might also turn into instruments of legitimation of certain discourses, narratives, and practices. When can we 3). "Inclusivity means not just 'we're allowed to be there' but we are valued.". A "lens" is a way to frame or think about the world around us. We PDF Roberta DAVERI, Research Intern and Gerhard THIELE, Resident Fellow, ESPI Variations in space weather can cause geomagnetic storms that interfere with the operation of satellites and even systems on the ground such as power grids. laid out to aid in exploring the Moons surface. Social science lens focuses on how space exploration has impacted socitey and how some of the inventions have improved the quality of life. However, there is also a trend to understand Earth in unfamiliar terms, for example in astrobiology where analog sites and extreme environments are used as proxies on Earth to provide clues about alien life on other planets. The space age is 62 years old if we calculate usingthe launch of Sputnik as the beginning point. Machery E. 2012. [2] The Bridge is to be applauded for regularly including humanist perspectives, but this is very unusual in scientific and technical publications. One of the biggest breakthroughs in space exploration in the recent years would have to be exploring if there is or can be life on mars. poles. It focuses primarily on the space shuttle era (1980s and 1990s) and is divided into four parts. What policies should govern the exploration of other worlds? But there are two critical points to keep in mind here. We conclude that human space exploration can be a socially significant and cost-effective endeavor that is worthy of tax revenue expenditures because space behavioral science is highly likely to provide unique and useful knowledge to help address various social problems concerning terrestrial isolated and confined environments and support people In the latter half of the 20th century, rockets were developed that were powerful enough to overcome the force of gravity to reach orbital velocities, paving the way for space exploration to become a reality. They can describe how space imaginaries are envisioned and performed, and how space futures are being pre-empted, prefigured, and prepared for. To learn more about the roles these disciplines can play, we spoke to Juan Francisco Salazar, a professor at Western Sydney Universitys School of Humanities & Communication Arts. Stout feels a beautiful painting would help the public comprehend the research, making scientific data more palatable, educating the public but additionally increasing interest and support for future scientific endeavours. The search for answers to these existential questions has often led to a shared dream to soar beyond the skies. HASS disciplines are relevant for examining how space futures get told, traded, transformed, and traversed. Finally, I offer some suggestions as to how the two communities can better work together. Astrosociology is an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary field that promotes and represents convergence of the physical/natural sciences and the social/behavioral sciences on all matters pertaining to humanity's interests and activities in space and the consequences of these activities for people on Earth. William Stout an artist well known for paleontological artwork states that scientists understand that artists are the conduit of the knowledge they are writing about. We can observe and consider technology and society through several lenses like history, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Image Credits: Image 1: (& featured image)Perseverance Rovers Cruise Stage Separation (Illustration),NASA/JPL-Caltech; Image 2:Mars Odyssey All Stars: Noctis Canyon,NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU; Images 3 & 4:Perseverance Touching Down on Mars (Illustration)&Perseverance Rovers Entry, Descent and Landing Profile, NASA/JPL-Caltech; all reproduced under NASA media usage guidelines. With space exploration, our desire to answer fundamental questions about our place in the Universe can not only help to expand technology, but it helps us look at things in new ways and it. What I learned while exploring my topic through the social science lens is space exploration has contributed to cancer . I am curious about the history of space exploration. The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and whether to send messages (METI): A case for conversation, patience and due diligence. 1. For these reasons, scientists and humanists alike should strive for more inclusive discussion, especially when it comes to questions that are extremely difficult to resolve. This should change. I think a fundamental challenge for the humanities and social sciences is to develop robust research to tackle a future that manifests as uncertain and contested, as shared on a planetary scale, and as increasingly off-Earth. social science and history lenses. I use the term scientist to refer to natural scientists and engineers and humanist to refer to humanities scholars and social scientists. Six Apollo missions were made to explore the Moon between 1969 and 1972. Natural science views space exploration as something that needs to be, explored more and needs to have better technology to explore other planets, The view that I get of space exploration when using both lenses is that exploring, could give us the answers of our lives but, Is there any effect on our environment from space. Honestly, I knew very little when I selected this topic. Astrobiology 8(4):71530. While researching I learned a lot about space exploration through multiple lenses. New York. Without the research and exploration attempts Be practical: Humanists need to adapt their arguments to the hard-nosed pragmatic concerns that space science cannot ignore, resisting the urge to indulge in the abstract theory their own disciplines often require. The primary characteristic of social science is that it is the study of human societies. This lack of appreciation is frustrating and ultimately counterproductive to the goal of inclusion. Social Issues in Space Exploration: A Call for Broader Dialogue