CHALLENGE

Space exploration is the story about firsts and about the entire humankind. History has already given us a lot of pioneers: the first rocket launched into space, the first human being sent to Earth's orbit, the first man to land on the Moon, the first spacecraft on Mars’ surface, the first space tourist, even the first dog in space (preceding the tourist for 44 years). While there will be a lot more firsts to come, we should think how they represent the rest of society who, most likely, will never travel beyond Earth.

If outer space is a common “ground”, each of its inhabitants should be considered a citizen and the discussion about space exploration should be held in an open public forum. Think what rights and responsibilities it implies. Are they evenly distributed between individuals and groups of different identities and backgrounds? Who participates in creating the futures of space exploration and who is underrepresented or excluded from these efforts? Think how future human practices in space – space travels, building habitats, creating extraterrestrial culture – can be envisioned, designed and brought into life depending on who gets to tell the story.

This thematic area encourages you to engage with the notion of space citizenship "ON REGIONAL, NATIONAL, GLOBAL AND EXTRATERRESTRIAL LEVEL" and to reflect on accessibility, inclusion and participation in various space exploration activities, placing a special focus on public involvement as well as its social and economical dimensions.