Short Abstract

The very earthly materiality of outer space technology is a matter of political, economic and ecological concern in a world seemingly trapped in vicious cycles of conflict and destruction. Could the future of outer space - and the Earth within this context - be imagined "otherwise"?

Description

Today’s geopolitical landscapes – from the war-driven displacement in Eastern Europe to the rapid expansion into extraterrestrial space – lay bare the ambiguous, contested roles of outer space and its materialities. This panel calls for an urgent conversation about the infrastructures and political economies that shape our earthly and celestial futures. Focusing on the materialities of space – its satellites, spaceports, debris, ground stations and multiple others – we ask how these systems simultaneously enable and constrain the possibility of alternatives and the “otherwise.”

The panel foregrounds techno-political dimensions of space activities amid intensifying geopolitical competition. The expanding presence of commercial actors, proliferating Earth observation and surveillance systems, and the emerging new space economy transform security politics, environmental governance, and international relations.

Central to our interest is the multidimensional relationship between future visions and material infrastructures. We examine how large-scale technical objects and their technoscientific communities occupy the future in the present. The imaginary serves as a powerful infrastructure itself, shaping and consolidating the ambitions of influential space industry leaders while foreclosing alternative possibilities. Historical precedents and cultural values saturate contemporary representations of off-world futures, revealing continuities that demand critical attention.

We invite abstracts examining the cultural meanings, economics, politics, and controversies of human space activities through interdisciplinary perspectives—STS, critical security studies, postcolonial theory, political geography, and socio-cultural anthropology. Contributions might trace how space technologies make certain futures (im)possible, current geopolitical dynamics, envision alternative governance frameworks, or explore how outer space entangles with lives on Earth as a site of power, struggle, and contestation.

We welcome contributions in a variety of formats: short talks, panel discussions, short films; video essays; poetry, podcasts, etc.

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