Paper short abstract:

This paper unpacks the underlying logics and frameworks of outer space colonization through the prism of prepping. We explore how the hubristic imaginaries and advanced material technologies of space colonization are fashioned as part of an extreme cosmic “survival kit.”

Paper long abstract:

Space colonization projects are commonly envisaged as a means to prepare for and potentially escape the implications of apocalyptic conditions on Earth. More specifically, the colonization of outer space is seen as a means to discover and develop settlements that are suitable for sustainable human presence in locations beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. This is often presented as a means of preparing for an event such as a nuclear war, meteor impact, or catastrophic environmental disaster that may render the Earth uninhabitable. In this respect, space colonization represents an example of "prepping" on the greatest scale: the ultimate "bugging out." It is infused by similar combinations of apocalyptic anticipation, risk-based justification and fears of societal and state collapse as small scale, individualistic prepping plans but then carries these logics to an unprecedented level of ambition.

In this paper we unpack the underlying logics and frameworks of outer space colonization through the prism of “prepping” as an anticipatory practice. We delve into the mechanisms by which governmental bodies, industry players, and research institutions secure investment and political backing for these monumental outer space colonization endeavors. We demonstrate how prepping on such an extraordinary scale only becomes possible through the intricate relationship between speculative visions and material infrastructures, which merges technological ambition, societal anxieties, and aspirations for survival and transcendence. Through our analysis, we outline how the hubristic imaginaries and advanced material technologies of space colonization are fashioned as part of an extreme cosmic “survival kit.”