Ellen Wu L&S Arts & Humanities
Star Trek to Starlink: Mapping the Evolution of US Space Imaginaries
The field of space exploration has seen significant shifts from its beginnings in the Cold War “Space Race” between the United States and Soviet Union, to today’s NewSpace era of commercialization via startups and venture capital. These shifts in the industry have been accompanied by the development of sociotechnical imaginaries: collective visions of ideal futures that are based on a common view of social order, and support advancements in science and technology. Space is an industry ideal for the application of this concept due to heavy government involvement and its tech-intensive nature. Sociotechnical imaginaries in space exploration dictate the advancements we strive toward, like human settlements on Mars; it also justifies what is permissible, such as asteroid mining. This project leverages upon the theoretical framework of sociotechnical imaginaries, a concept originating from science and technology studies, in writing an intellectual history of the US space industry. By characterizing the development of these sociotechnical imaginaries since the mid-20th century, we can uncover what undergirds the space industry’s values, visions, and activities.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much to Leadership for your generous support of my project this summer! I have been interested in space since I was little. This was my first opportunity to explore it academically in a way that intersected with my research interests, and it has been an incredible experience. I will be incorporating my takeaways from this project into a yearlong senior thesis I am writing for my History major.