Paper short abstract:

This paper discusses two points. First, long-duration spaceflights require paying special attention to the visions of the future, particularly middle- and distant ones. Second, experiences of refugees and IDPs could be important for understanding the process of giving meaning to objects on a spaceship.

Paper long abstract:

This paper considers what can be learned about long-duration spaceflights from the existing practices of the displaced on Earth. Drawing from anthropological analyses and ethnographic research on refugees and IDPs, it discusses two points. First, it suggests that human dwelling in outer space would require paying special attention to the visions of the future, particularly middle- and distant futures. The astronaut training generally produces visions of the immediate future, by preparing astronauts for the procedures and operations that need to be done to keep the spaceship going and to keep oneself and the mission alive. However, it is unclear how a crew of a long-duration spaceflight would conceptualize futures that are temporally further away, especially during an exploratory, long-term journey. Socio-historically particular visions of future deeply affect everyday life of humans, while uncertainties over future are related to social instabilities. The paper offers some initial thoughts on this. It looks at the contemporary and historical examples of visions of future, including different utopias, dystopias, and "failed" futures, in order to understand what sort of social life these visions of future have had and how they affected everyday practices of people who practiced them. Second, the paper looks at what can be learned about the process of giving meaning to objects and spaces around oneself from the experience of those who permanently left their place of residence, such as refugees and IDPs.