Space History

The founding figures, advocates and engineers of the early Space Age are frequently hailed as ‘fathers’, ‘forebears’, ‘prophets’, ‘pioneers’, ‘visionaries’ and ‘heroes’, employing hagiographic, gendered and indiscriminate tropes that lack analytical value. Inspired by persona and celebrity studies, this special issue of the British Journal for the History of Science proposes an alternative approach. Seven contributions chart the genesis, appeal, and afterlives of global ‘rocket stars’ Qian Xuesen (1911–2009) in China, Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) in Sri Lanka, Vikram Sarabhai (1919–1971) in India, Sigmund Jähn (1937–2019) in East Germany, Ulf Merbold (1941–) in West Germany, and Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez (1942–) in Cuba. Replacing stale ‘great men’ hagiography with a theoretically grounded focus on celebrification processes and the making of national space patriarchs from without – from person to persona – enhances nuance and reduces cliché in understanding the role technocelebrities played in the production of outer space as a key phantasmagoria of the twentieth century.

The North American X-15 rocket-powered monoplane underwent intensive technical analysis and treatment at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) before it was reinstalled as part of a multi-year, 23-gallery renovation. The renovation project offered an unprecedented opportunity for technical and scientific analysis to better understand its history of use, reuse, stewardship, and display. This paper will summarize the project history, technical findings, testing procedure, and treatment protocol employed to successfully document, conserve, and reinstall this iconic aircraft.

Conceived as a hypersonic research vehicle in test flight from 1959 to 1968, NASM's exemplar, the X-15-1, is one of only two extant and was flown by test pilot and astronaut Neil Armstrong. It was the first in a program integral to breakthroughs in hypersonic flight, aerodynamic performance, rocket propulsion, lifting re-entry, and ablative surface reuse. The plane was designed for operation both in atmosphere and at the edge of outer space, setting speed and altitude records and returning valuable data about hypersonic flight to be used in aircraft and spacecraft design.

The mission requirements for high strength, heat resistance, weight, reusability, and maneuverability during flight determined the use of specialized alloys, new manufacturing techniques, unique construction details, and specialized surface coatings throughout the aircraft. The nickel-chromium 'Inconel-X' superalloy chosen for the skin was designed to withstand temperatures up to 1300 F° and carried test applications of spray-on ablative cladding, absorptive coatings, and temperature-sensitive paints. Vehicle reuse resulted in a complex palimpsest surface with mixed-material characteristics, and a pattern of condition issues that needed to be characterized and addressed.

In addition to the technical study of the aircraft skin, treatment of a disfiguring, green, nickel-based corrosion product along the shoulders and undersurfaces of the plane was required before reinstallation. Although Inconel superalloys were designed to withstand oxidative and high-heat environments, they have been observed to corrode when in industrial or intended use, as well as during post-use display. As 'Inconel-X' superalloy and its degradation are infrequently described in the conservation literature, its material properties and degradation patterns were investigated using literature and archival review, close examination, and strategic non-destructive and micro-destructive sampling. Mineralogy and composition of use- and corrosion-related encrustations were examined using XRF, FTIR, and cross-confirmed with XRD, Raman, and SEM.

Mechanical and chemical methods for corrosion removal or stabilization were empirically tested using imaging and analysis to guide decision-making about appropriate treatment extent and final appearance. Treatment was performed using medical-grade chelators to best reduce the corrosion while leaving intact the metal finish, paint, test coatings, markings, and other surface strata important to the object's history, visual impact, and interpretation.

Pressurized garments for space exploration training require design for ease-of-maintenance and repair, and toolkits, manuals and procedures for such. Consideration for these is required in pressurized garment design and hardware integration.

For the majority of Emperor Rudolf II’s rule (1576–1612), Prague was the city of his permanent residence. The ruler’s presence, as well as the presence of his court, attracted diplomats and diplomatic actors. They included ambassadors permanently representing leading European rulers, smaller or larger foreign delegations coming to the emperor with specific temporary tasks, numerous agents representing smaller states or interests of various individuals. Their activities were connected to a certain space, which can be understood in two senses: as a topographically defined place and as a social space formed or influenced by people acting on the other hand. The book uses various examples of diplomatic actors in Prague to explore interesting questions:
Which places in Prague could be considered the key ones from the diplomatic actors’ point of view?
How did the main aims of the diplomats – that is negotiation, information-gathering, and representation – manifest themselves in various places?
How did the diplomatic actors perceive the space of the residential city?
Did the diplomatic actors attempt to somehow modify, delimit, or transform their spaces themselves?

A geopolitical thriller is a subgenre of the political thriller that foregrounds international politics, espionage, warfare, and statecraft, often set against the backdrop of real or plausible global crises. The central theme usually revolves around power struggles between nations, the role of intelligence agencies, and the tension between national security and individual morality. These narratives often involve clandestine operations, assassination plots, diplomatic tension, and global conflict. Frederick Forsyth had long been a dominant voice in English fiction, particularly in the genres of espionage and political thrillers. Known for his journalistic precision, technical detail, and realist narrative, Forsyth's oeuvre reflects the socio-political tensions of the Cold War and post-Cold War periods. His latest (and last) novel The Fox (2018) stands as a testament to his enduring relevance, integrating themes of cyberwarfare, geopolitics, and moral ambiguity in a globalized world. This paper initially traces the emergence and evolution of geopolitical thrillers. Later on, Forsyth’s contribution to English geopolitical thriller has been examined with special focus on The Fox, offering critical insights into its thematic concerns, character development, and narrative technique.

A roundtable in honor of Martin J. Collins, cosmic imaginaries in China, adaptation strategies in post-Soviet Russia and contemporary US astroculture – the one and only NYU Space Talks lecture series goes into its tenth season.

The fall 2025 program starts on 16 September 2025. All NYU Space Talks are held on Zoom. To register, please consult https://www.space-talks.com.

The mysterious rectangular pits on the Moon, photographed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter near the landing site of the Ranger 6 space probe, resemble terrestrial quarries. While terrestrials are only planning to mine minerals on the Moon, apparently someone has already used the lunar resources. However, the intelligence services remain silent.

Beyond the military, scientific and political aspects, the battle for space had a symbolic meaning: who would be the main actor of humanity's cosmic exodus? Expectations and mythmaking have appeared in all sides of life, from rocket-shaped climbers in playgrounds, to youth novels, to the naming of public buildings. For obvious reasons, the Soviet and American parties have created their own "national space myths".
In the early stages of the space race, the narratives that first emerged in the Soviet Union were adopted by the socialist countries, including Hungary. In my essay I will examine the appearance of Soviet space propaganda in Hungary between 1957 and 1961, with particular attention to its legitimising function.
The coming of the space age did not come as a surprise to Hungarian society, and the news of the launch of Sputnik was also based on Soviet space propaganda narratives. From 1959 onwards, Khrushchev's propaganda consciously linked space successes with the developmental approach and legitimacy, and so these were also present in Hungary at the highest political levels. The cult of the astronauts, which had arisen from the sensational Soviet successes, was at odds with the prohibition of the cult of personality. Thus the cult of Gagarin was less manifest than in other socialist countries or in the Soviet Union. At the same time, his visit to Hungary was an excellent means of breaking the Kádár regime out of its international isolation, and a prominent and colourful event for society. In light of this, Soviet space propaganda certainly contributed to and was part of the Kádár-regime consolidation. The most important period was the one between the VII Congress of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party and Yuri Gagarin's visit, because these two years were the height of the propaganda and this is reflected in the official publicity and in the popular opinion reports.
Overall, it can be concluded that the power of János Kádár and the consolidation of the socialist system were strengthened and served to a demonstrable extent by Soviet space probes and astronauts.

Üçüncül nesil bir yıldız olduğu tahmin edilen ve teknik olarak bir sarı cüce
olan Güneş’imiz, elbette sistemimizin ve gezegenimizdeki hayatın en
önemli kaynağıdır. Sistemimiz ise pek çok konuda kendine has yönler
barındırmaktadır. Örneğin bu boyutlarda olan yıldızlar, genellikle
ikişer veya üçer yıldız sistemleri halinde bulunmakla birlikte Güneş’imiz
bildiğimiz kadarıyla yalnız bir yıldızdır. Her ne kadar doğduğu dönem bir
kardeşi olduğundan bahsedilse de bugünlerde ondan pek haber
alamamaktayız. Bunun haricinde sistemimiz pek çok gezegen, uydu ve
asteroid bulundurmaktadır. Her ne kadar bugün bilinen 8 gezegen olsa da
bir zamanlar bunun böyle olmadığı, sistemimizden atıldığı veyahut bir
şekilde yok olduğu iddia edilen gezegenler de vardır. Modern bilimin
tahmin ettiği bu hipotetik gezegenlerin dışında Eski Çağ’dan Newton
sonrası döneme kadar iddia edilmiş pek çok gezegen de bulunmaktadır.
Bizler bugün bu hipotetik gezegenleri kronolojik bir sıra içerisinde
inceleyeceğiz ve gerçekliklerini tartışacağız.

This paper address the past and current efforts of the South American region in the space area. The space activities in the region date back from the beginning of 1967, since then these countries achieved a relative modest capability through their national programs and sometimes international collaboration, with the space activities in the region are led by Brazil and Argentina space programs. In an era where missions explore the solar system and beyond, this paper focus on the participation of a region that is still at the early stages of its space technology development, but has considerably to offer in terms of material, specialized personal, launch sites and energy. In summary, this work perform a historical review of the main achievements in the region, and by analyzing past and present efforts, it projects a trend for the future of space in South America. It is also put in contest current efforts to continue the region integration such as the South American Space Agency proposal.

Tomáš Černušák è laureato in archivistica, storia e teologia cattolica presso l'Università di Olomouc. Archivista dal 2001 al 2020 presso il Moravský Zemský Archiv di Brno, lavora attualmente presso l'Istituto storico dell'Accademia delle Scienze della Repubblica Ceca, nonché, come professore associato, presso la Facoltà di Lettere dell'Università Masaryk di Brno. È specializzato nella storia ecclesiastica delle terre ceche e nella storia della diplomazia nel primo periodo moderno; attualmente sta preparando un'edizione della corrispondenza del nunzio papale Carlo Carafa presso l'imperatore (1621-1628).

: It has been just over 40 years since the fulfillment of President John F. Kennedys goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. As we reflect on this technological triumph, we find numerous examples of acquisition best practices and lessons learned, many of which are manifest in our current DoD acquisition management system.From its earliest stages, the U.S. space program pioneered and implemented many innovative ideas and best practicesoften out of necessityand many of those ideas have evolved and are now common tenets of todays defense acquisition practices.

Astrocolonialism is postcolonial, decolonial, colonialism.

This paper presents a theory of astrocoloniality which aims to differentiate astrocolonialism from previous forms of colonialism and coloniality. It argues that astrocolonialism is postcolonial in the sense that the form of uneven extraterrestrial development which it generates precisely avoids a literal repetition of the logics of global colonization. It is decolonial to the extent that it at least promises to cure the problems generated by global colonization. Finally, it is postcolonial and decolonial to the extent that it leaves space for other iterations of coloniality which differ from those of global colonialism, in the case studied in this paper, Chinese astrocolonialism. Astrocolonialism saves colonialism from global colonialism through more colonization.

What is astrocolonialism? It is what occurs when technology, futurism, and coloniality become entangled.

In recent years the concept of planetarity has seen a meteoric rise among critical theorists. But they often leave its exact significance opaque or even actively obscure the meaning of ‘planet’. Can space history unearth a more accurate conceptualization by de-metaphorizing planetarity and fostering a spatial understanding of planet Earth instead? In this roundtable, a philosopher, a media theorist, a cultural historian, a historian of technology and a religious studies scholar discuss the uses of planetarity in their respective disciplines. They ask what all that planetarity talk is about, if proclaiming a planetary turn can be justified, and whether understanding the transformation of Earth into a planet over the course of the twentieth century necessitates an extra-terrestrial perspective.

Future interplanetary crewmembers will be micro-societies like autonomous and auto-organized systems far from the Earth. They will have to live and work together in small habitat units as it is simulated at Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, USA. Missions become longer and the multi-national heterogeneity of the crews becomes new characteristics to emphasize. The purpose of this study is to combine ethological and anthropological methods for quantitative and qualitative descriptions of the crew’s non-verbal and verbal behavior during a 15-day period, characterized by a multicultural background (French, Danish, Australian and American). The results show global high occurrences of visual interactions compared to both facial, body and object interactions. Differences of language skill have an impact on communication abilities. Subjects using no-native languages compensate with interaction abilities. With the evolving of common working and living habits, some will actively int...

The SETI novel, a roundtable on the so-called planetary turn, satellite imagery, and the latest from NASA’s history program — the NYU Space Talks lecture series goes into its eighth season. The fall 2024 program starts on 11 September.

All NYU Space Talks are held on Zoom. Everybody is welcome but advance registration is required. For further details and to RSVP, please consult https://www.space-talks.com.

A set of roving vehicle design requirements were postulated, corresponding to an idealized Mars transport vehicle operational scenario which could serve as a reference for a manned Mars mission. The ability of conventional vehicles to satisfy these requirements were examined. The study indicated that no conventional vehicle could satisfy all of the requirements, as the vehicles are presently configured. Consequently, the requirements have to either be relaxed and/or an alternative, less conventional vehicle design will have to be developed. A possible unconventional vehicle design which has received considerable attention for DARPA and the Army is the walker vehicle. The design issues associated with this vehicle are presented, along with a comparison of the performance capabilities of this technology vs. conventional vehicle technology.

A set of roving vehicle design requirements were postulated, corresponding to an idealized Mars transport vehicle operational scenario which could serve as a reference for a manned Mars mission. The ability of conventional vehicles to satisfy these requirements were examined. The study indicated that no conventional vehicle could satisfy all of the requirements, as the vehicles are presently configured. Consequently, the requirements have to either be relaxed and/or an alternative, less conventional vehicle design will have to be developed. A possible unconventional vehicle design which has received considerable attention for DARPA and the Army is the walker vehicle. The design issues associated with this vehicle are presented, along with a comparison of the performance capabilities of this technology vs. conventional vehicle technology.

Astronomi tarihi, gelişmiş bir primat olan insanın bir nevi varlık
mücadelesi olarak değerlendirebilir. Bildiğiniz üzere her canlı kendi konfor
alanını sağladıktan sonra çoğalıp, başka yerlere yayılma odaklı olmuştur.
Bunun başlıca sebebi hayatta kalma içgüdüsüdür. Öyle ki tarihte 5 büyük
kitlesel yok oluşu yaşamış olan canlılık, buna rağmen Dünya üzerinde
gelişimini ve yayılışını inatçı bir biçimde sürdürebilmiştir. Türümüzün ilk
atalarını teşkil eden Homo türü, bir Doğu Afrika ülkesi olan Tanzanya
sınırları içerisinde evrimleştikten sonra yaklaşık 2 milyon yıl önce Dünya’daki
birçok noktaya ulaşmış ve burada yine evrimle beraber bulunduğu
coğrafyaya adaptasyon sağlamıştı. Bununla beraber birçok insan cinsi de
ortaya çıkmıştı. Günümüz İnsan türünün ilk sakinleri olan ve Latincedeki
“bilge” kelimesinden adını alan Homo Sapiens yani Bilge İnsan, ardılı
diğer insan cinsleri gibi 200 bin yıl önce Doğu Afrika’da evrimleşse de
başlarda yayılım göstermemişti. Uzunca bir süre Afrika savanasında kaldıktan
sonra Hominid Savaşları1 olarak da adlandırdığımız süreçte, diğer
insan cinslerine üstünlük kurmuş ve varlıklarına son vererek 13 bin yıl
önce Dünya’daki tek insan cinsi olmayı başarmıştı. Bununla beraber Dünya’da
tek insan cinsi olmayı başaran Homo Sapiens, yıllar içinde diğer canlılara
da üstünlük kurarak Dünya’nın hamisi konumuna gelecekti. 15.yüzyıldaysa
başta Amerika kıtası olmak üzere Dünya’daki birçok yeni yeri de
keşfeden insanlar, artık Dünya’da keşfedilecek yeni bir yer kalmayınca
gözünü göklerdeki gezegenlere dikecekti. İşte bu gezegenlere gitmemizi
sağlayacak olan tek şeyse astronomidir. İnsanlık, eğer varlık mücadelesini
tamamlayacaksa önce Güneş Sistemi’ne sonrasındaysa Samanyolu Galaksisi
ve diğer galaksilere yayılma mecburiyetindedir. Eğer bir gün galaktik
bir medeniyet olabilirsek, bundan yıllar önce Afrika savanında belki de imrenerek baktığımız gökteki o parıldayan ışık hüzmelerine artık varmışız
demektir. Bu yolda ilk adımları Eski Çağ’da Antik Yunan ve Mısır gibi
birçok uygarlıkla atmış olmakla birlikte Orta Çağ’ın gelişiyle beraber Avrupa’nın
büründüğü o karanlık çağ, bilimi uzunca bir süre sekteye uğratacaktı.
Buradaysa o karanlığı, İslâm medeniyeti aydınlatacak ve Eski Çağ’ın
bilgisini Rönesans’a taşıyacaktı. Rönesans Avrupa’sıysa edindiği bu bilgi
sayesinde yaşadığı yeniden doğuşla birlikte Astronomi ve pek çok alanda
sınırları zorlayacaktı. Eski Çağ insanının kesin olarak çözümleyemediği
evren modellerini ve Dünya aslında ne? gibi soruların çözümleme
konusunda büyük başarı gösterecek ve Güneş Sistemi’nin gözlemini de
yaparak çevremiz hakkında daha fazla bilgi sahibi olmamızı sağlayacaktı.
Bu bağlamda Rönesans Astronomisi bizim kimiz, nereden geldik ve özel
miyiz? gibi sorularımıza yanıt arayacak, milyarlarca sayıda yıldıza ev sahipliği
yapan kozmosa dair bilgilerimizin artmasına vesile olacaktır. Bu
bağlamda elde ettiğimiz sonuçlar bizlerin bugünün bilim ve teknolojisine
ulaşmamızda mihenk taşı görevi görmüştü. Rönesans astronomları hem
yaşadığımız yeri anlamamızı sağlamış hem de Güneş Sistemi’nin ve komşularımızın
ne olduğunu daha iyi anlamamız konusunda bizlere yardımcı
olmuştu. Rönesans sonrası oluşan bilim devrimi, insanlığın tarihinde
görmediği bir atılımı yaşamasını sağlamış, insanlık bu atılımla birlikte
Ay’a hatta belki ileride Mars’a gidecek noktaya ulaşmıştı. Rönesans astronomisinin
bu noktaya gelmesinde, Doğu medeniyetinin ve Uluğ Bey’in
de katkıları unutulmamalıdır. İslâm medeniyeti, Avrupa karanlık çağ ile
uğraşırken, Eski Çağ’ın bilim ve medeniyetini devam ettirmişti. Aynı zamanda
Uluğ Bey ve Semerkant Gözlemevinde yapılan çalışmalar da bu
birikimin daha iyi bir şekilde ileriki nesillere aktarılmasını sağlamıştır. Bir
zamanlar, göğe bakan o primat şimdiyse baktığı şeyleri anlayabilecek duruma
gelebilmiştir.

This book analyzes the social, political, and especially cultural impact that the flight of the Apollo 11 (which put the first men on the Moon in July 1969) had in Romania. The research is based on a varied range of primary historical sources, as follows: 1. articles from newspapers and magazines; 2. documents from state archives; 3. visual and audio archives; 4. oral sources (interviews); 5. material sources (museum artifacts).

The first part of the book (titled Historiography and theoretical framework) is meant to familiarize the reader with the main topics in the field of space history, comprizing a review of the social and humanities approaches that investigate the history and culture of space exploration. In the second chapter (Historical context: We choose to go to the Moon) the political context in which the Apollo missions took place is fleshed out, from the founding of NASA to notable moments of the first American manned space programs.

The third part (The written culture of cosmonautics) contains a detailed analysis of written sources: news, press releases, editorials and other articles related to the Apollo 11 mission, published in some of the most important Romanian newspapers and magazines. Also included in this part of the work – due to the chronological proximity of the two events – is a short description of Richard Nixon's visit to Romania.

The fourth part of the book (The visual culture of cosmonautics) presents the results of my investigation of the visual component of the first Moon landing, seen as a major global media event. The first subchapters explore the social impact of the Moon landing’s live TV broadcasting, and examines the circulation of the lunar photographs published in the Romanian newspapers and magazines. The final subchapter discusses the manner in which the Apollo 11 mission was depicted on the postage stamps issued by the Romanian government to mark the event.

The fifth part of the work (titled The audio culture of cosmonautics) focuses on audio recordings that either describe the flight to the Moon in an informative manner (for example, in news reports), or reflect and interpret it creatively, in a particular musical production. In the first subchapter I examine the content of the live radio broadcasting (the reactions and comments of radio presenters and their guests), while in the second subchapter the angle of analysis is changed, with my analizing the lyrics of a poem/song, which I interpret as a local form of American counterculture-like reaction.

The book ends with the sixth part (The material culture of cosmonautics), wherein are examined some original artifacts from the Apollo missions – objects which were either temporarily exhibited in Romania, or have remained, to this day, part of some permanent museum collections. The first subchapter presents a temporary exhibition organized in February 1970, in Bucharest – an exhibition in which a fragment of lunar rock collected by the Apollo 11 crew was exhibited. In the next subchapters I provide a description of the visit to Romania of the Apollo 12 astronauts, followed by an analysis of the Apollo artifacts preserved in the collection of the Romanian National History Museum, in Bucharest.

This paper address the past and current efforts of the South American region in the space area. The space activities in the region date back from the beginning of 1967, since then these countries achieved a relative modest capability through their national programs and sometimes international collaboration, with the space activities in the region are led by Brazil and Argentina space programs. In an era where missions explore the solar system and beyond, this paper focus on the participation of a region that is still at the early stages of its space technology development, but has considerably to offer in terms of material, specialized personal, launch sites and energy. In summary, this work perform a historical review of the main achievements in the region, and by analyzing past and present efforts, it projects a trend for the future of space in South America. It is also put in contest current efforts to continue the region integration such as the South American Space Agency proposal.

This paper address the past and current efforts of the South American region in the space area. The space activities in the region date back from the beginning of 1967, since then these countries achieved a relative modest capability through their national programs and sometimes international collaboration, with the space activities in the region are led by Brazil and Argentina space programs. In an era where missions explore the solar system and beyond, this paper focus on the participation of a region that is still at the early stages of its space technology development, but has considerably to offer in terms of material, specialized personal, launch sites and energy. In summary, this work perform a historical review of the main achievements in the region, and by analyzing past and present efforts, it projects a trend for the future of space in South America. It is also put in contest current efforts to continue the region integration such as the South American Space Agency proposal.

Land-based extreme environments (e.g. polar expeditions, Antarctic research stations, confinement chambers) have often been used as analog settings for spaceflight. These settings share similarities with the conditions experienced during space missions, including confinement, isolation and limited possibilities for evacuation. To determine the utility of analog settings for understanding human spaceflight, researchers have examined the extent to which the individual characteristics (e.g., personality) of people operating in extreme environments can be generalized across contexts (Sandal, 2000) [1]. Building on previous work, and utilising new and preexisting data, the present study examined the extent to which personal value motives could be generalized across extreme environments. Four populations were assessed; mountaineers (N =59), military personnel (N = 25), Antarctic over-winterers (N = 21) and Mars simulation participants (N = 12). All participants completed the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ; Schwartz; 2) capturing information on 10 personal values. Rank scores suggest that all groups identified Self-direction, Stimulation, Universalism and Benevolence as important values and acknowledged Power and Tradition as being low priorities. Results from difference testing suggest the extreme environment groups were most comparable on Self-direction, Stimulation, Benevolence, Tradition and Security. There were significant between-group differences on five of the ten values. Overall, findings pinpointed specific values that may be important for functioning in challenging environments. However, the differences that emerged on certain values highlight the importance of considering the specific population when comparing results across extreme settings. We recommend that further research examine the impact of personal value motives on indicators of adjustment, group working, and performance. Information from such studies could then be used to aid selection and training processes for personnel operating in extreme settings, and in space.

Research in human spaceflight has extensively documented how microgravity environments, such as spaceflight across Low Earth Orbit (LEO), affects astronauts’ and Spaceflight Participants’ emotions. However, a more refined understanding of this topic will become especially relevant as national and international space agencies increase the duration of manned space missions, and as the private sector fully enters the aerospace arena. In this paper, we analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the four main types of interventions for dealing with the stressors associated with human spaceflight (i.e., ergonomic, physiological, psychological, and psychosocial), and then elaborate on a psychosocial intervention grounded on evidence-based interventions across several fields of psychological research. Among the components of such interventions, we recommend adopting advanced stress coping strategies, developing emotional and intercultural competencies and crafting a shared social identity amon...

This research explores the potential and viability of issuing a commemorative postage stamp as a tribute to Nicholas Copernicus, a luminary in mathematics and astronomy. Originating from Toru Royal Prussia (modern-day Poland), Copernicus's profound impact on scientific history is commemorated through Indian postage stamps released on July 1st, 1973. This tradition, dating back to the 1920s, reflects a symbolic celebration of Copernicus's lasting influence. The study traces the evolution of this tradition, examining its roots and changes over time. From its inception in Poland in 1923 to the wartime stamps released under German occupation, the research elucidates the transformation of honoring significant figures into a passionate pursuit. The issuance of commemorative stamps emerges as a powerful method of bridging cultures, fostering a connection through shared recognition of mathematical and astronomical legacies.

This paper address the past and current efforts of the South American region in the space area. The space activities in the region date back from the beginning of 1967, since then these countries achieved a relative modest capability through their national programs and sometimes international collaboration, with the space activities in the region are led by Brazil and Argentina space programs. In an era where missions explore the solar system and beyond, this paper focus on the participation of a region that is still at the early stages of its space technology development, but has considerably to offer in terms of material, specialized personal, launch sites and energy. In summary, this work perform a historical review of the main achievements in the region, and by analyzing past and present efforts, it projects a trend for the future of space in South America. It is also put in contest current efforts to continue the region integration such as the South American Space Agency proposal.

Coping is a dynamic physiological and psychological process in response to perceived environmental stress that functions to restore physiological homeostasis and reduce negative affect [1]. Thematic content analysis was employed for references to 13 well-established coping strategies in interviews with 20 retired long-duration male cosmonauts. As in previous research with other space samples [2,3] the retired cosmonauts mentioned Problem-Oriented strategies more frequently than Emotion-Oriented ones. In the present sample, Seeking Social Support, Planful Problem Solving and Endurance/Obedience/Effort were the top three most mentioned coping strategies. Cosmonauts who had spent more than a year in space, compared to those who had spent less than a year, mentioned using Planful Problem Solving more as they recalled their career and retirement. Examining changes over time, spaceflight had a positive effect on Accepting Responsibility. Endurance/Obedience/Effort steadily decreased over time, while we found an inverted-U pattern for Distancing and Self-Control. Additional results in relation to other astronaut samples and the relationship between coping and post-flight growth are discussed.

Space analog studies, whether happening in dedicated simulated environments (simulators) or indirect environmental analogs (polar stations, submarines, etc.) have concentrated on isolation and confinement effects on morale and performance. Means of collecting anthropological data in space analog settings are multiple. The specific tools and methods used on Expedition One, a thirtyday surface mission simulation in a Mars-analog research station (MDRS, Utah, 2003), are presented along with their expected outcomes, and recommendations for future studies and real Mars expeditions.

The development and deployment of interstellar missions will without doubt require orders of magnitude more resources than needed for current or past megaprojects (Apollo, Iter, LHC,…). Question is how enough resources for such gigaprojects can be found. In this contribution different scenarios will be explored assuming limited, moderate economic growth throughout the next centuries, i.e. without human population and productivity continuing to grow exponentially, and without extreme events such as economic collapse or singularity. In such a world, which is not unlike the current situation, gigascale space projects face a combination of inhibiting factors: the enormous cost threshold, the need for risky and costly development of often quite application specific technology, the relatively little benefit with respect to the costs for the sponsors, the time span of at least a few generations and the absence of a sense of urgency. The likelihood of direct commercial investment is found to be slim. The likelihood of governmental investment in several economic growth scenarios is assessed based on a range of political and economical factors behind successful and cancelled megaprojects, and found to be uncertain but possible. Finally, it will be argued that the best chance of getting an interstellar project started in this generation is to establish an international network of non governmental organizations (NGOs) focused on private and public fundraising for interstellar exploration, similar to e.g. the WWF. It is shown that this path reduces the massive barriers to entry as well as the level of governmental support needed. The path is argued to fit best with three defining features of gigascale space projects, which should be recognized to the fullest: their almost absolute nonprofit character, their massive cost in terms of time and resources and their non-urgency leading to procrastination. The NGO should set a single inspiring goal: to get a second home planet for humanity and the rest of Earth's life forms by the end of the millennium. Even if relatively modest but recurring funding is found enough resources can be gathered over time, provided the majority of the NGOs' income is saved up in a long term fund similar to that of the Noble Foundation or Norway's Government Pension Fund.

La investigación pretende aportar una reflexión innovadora con respecto a la forma en que se analiza estratégicamente el espacio ultraterrestre, el cómo se estudia la presencia y las narrativas que emprenden los distintos actores, y su impacto en la seguridad espacial.

Se parte de la siguiente pregunta de investigación "¿Es la territorialización del espacio ultraterrestre un concepto que permita cartografiar las intenciones o acciones tendientes a la construcción de poder en el espacio ultraterrestre y con ello reconfigurar la seguridad espacial?"

Se procedió a realizar un recorrido histórico de los principales hitos espaciales, para a continuación explorar la seguridad en sus distintos debates y aportar reflexiones sobre la definición de seguridad espacial y de sus amenazas, incorporando para ello el debate de la geopolítica y la astropolítica.

En el segundo capítulo se retoman casos de procesos de territorialización como la Antártida, la Patagonia, etc., que sirven de guía para estudiar procesos similares en el espacio, así como de las narrativas. Posteriormente, se proponen tablas de procesos de territorialización afectiva, simbólica y material en el espacio, así como de monitoreo de narrativas en el espacio ultraterrestre.

Finalmente, en el tercer capítulo se aterrizan ideas para la construcción de poder en el espacio ultraterrestre por parte de México y el resto de Latinoamérica y el Caribe, añadiendo un apartado histórico de México con respecto al espacio. Se concluye haciendo un balance de la importancia de reivindicar a las ciencias sociales y humanidades dentro de las ciencias espaciales.

Now in its seventh season, NYU Space Talks is a lecture series convened by Alexander C. T. Geppert at NYU's Center for European and Mediterranean Studies and NYU Shanghai with the Department of History in New York City. Each semester, established and upcoming scholars present the latest research on the history and politics of outer space, extraterrestrial life and astroculture, both in Europe and around the globe.

All NYU Space Talks are held on Zoom. Everybody is welcome but advance registration is required. For further details and to RSVP, please consult https://www.space-talks.com.

It is inevitable that individuals and groups will experience stress and distress in the harsh and extreme environment of deep space. When these occur, we now have a mission in jeopardy-not due to hardware failure, but because a psychological breaking point has been reached. It will happen. The question is when. This paper seeks to identify signs of impending breakdowns and suggests strategies for a crew to minimize its impact when it does. This paper begins to create definitions and qualities of breaking points, define the impact on group dynamics, and identify post-breakdown recovery strategies that will be used as a foundation for predictive model development.

In the first ever planetary defence test, the space agency’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft created history by colliding with an asteroid. As part of the Crew-4 and Crew-5 missions, NASA sent a number of astronauts into space this year. It also successfully returned Crew-3 and Crew-4 personnel to Earth. Among other things, astronauts working on the International Space Station (ISS) have studied space archaeology, the negative effects of microgravity on astronaut hearing, and cotton cultivars that may benefit drought-resistant plants.

Exploring space is one of the most attractive goals that humanity ever set, notwithstanding, there are some psychological and psychopathological risks that should be considered. Several studies identified some possible hazards of space travels and related physical and psychological consequences on astronauts. If some psychological reactions are obviously inherent to the characteristics of the spaceships (habitability, confinement, psychological, and interpersonal relationships), other (disturbances of sleep-wake cycle, personality changes, depression, anxiety, apathy, psychosomatic symptoms, neurovestibular problems, alterations in cognitive function, and sensory perception) represent a clear warning of possible central nervous system (CNS) alterations, possibly due to microgravity and cosmic radiation. Such conditions and eventual CNS changes might compromise the success of missions and the ability to cope with unexpected events and may lead to individual and long-term impairments. Therefore, further studies are needed, perhaps, requiring the birth of a novel branch of psychology/psychiatry that should not only consider the risks related to space exploration, but the implementation of targeted strategies to prevent them.

Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures reveals the struggle that African Americans faced during the time of the Space race and how they struggled to fight for their rights that they deserved. From the very start of the book, the struggles are introduced by Katherine Johnson's issues to get a job. When she gets a job at Langley air force base she is told that she wouldn't be there long as a computer. They try to get America first into space before the Soviet Union but they lose, in a manner of speaking. The Soviet Union was the first to get a satellite into space and the Americans were first to send a man into space and first to send a man to the moon. The United States spends so much money on going to space, and to a planet where there isn't any life at all. Yet the troubles in the nation were horrible, racism, discrimination, inequality. Many African Americans were concerned if they would ever get full rights, without discrimination or racism. Shetterly places the events in a greater context of history in the beginning of the book by starting in 1942, a few years after World War two had started. She starts explaining that even though it's about women working their way up in the social status, black people still get discriminated against. "Virginia's white teachers ranked in the bottom quarter in public school salaries, and their black counterparts might earn almost 50 percent less"(P. 11) The book then goes on to go into the context of around the end of the war and that America is modernizing itself because of the war. "there was a nursery school for the tinites tots, a boon to the mothers working six-day weeks during the war." (P. 63) Which shows that women were allowed to work

This chapter summarizes the evolution of the concept of 'Habitability' as it has been envisioned, approached and addressed within the context of extraterrestrial human habitation. It outlines the initial defining characteristics identified from research in terrestrial ICEs (Isolated, Confined and Extreme Environments), traces the evolution of concern with place (location characteristics) to habitation space (built environments) and summarizes the expansion of focus from individual living spaces to those encompassing whole communities that are driven by the demands of the extraterrestrial environment. 2.1 Habitability as PLACE Today, there is no perfect analogue 1 for extraterrestrial habitats. Although "a stay at [the Antarctic research station] Concordia has many similarities with a longduration spaceflight and to future exploration missions [...]" (ESA 2010), similarities and differences are not the same across different environments. Each isolated and confined environment (extraterrestrial orbital and planetary habitats, polar bases, simulators, etc.) has its own strengths as well as limitations as an analogue environment for the development of future extraterrestrial habitats. But none can be 100% directly compared with the other. Therefore, any investigation into what a habitat should be like for extraterrestrial locations will be, at best, an approximation. For example, even in analogues where conditions limit some critical resource like the availability of a breathable atmosphere (e.g., submarines or underwater habitats), all terrestrial analogues exist in a 1 g field (i.e., 1 gravity or Earth normal gravity). Thus, it will not be possible to ever simulate how a microgravity environment affects group

The cost of an investment in extremely long-term exploration and research made by a nation financing large budget deficits will be borne by multiple generations. The decision to burden future citizens with the cost of a public space program begs a question of intergenerational equity with both economic and environmental aspects. While these two facets are most often been considered in a context of dialectical opposition, space exploration offers a paradigm shift that aligns economic development with environmental stewardship by actually offering to remove human economic activity from the planet. With that promise far off, the mid-term economic-environmental benefits of our public space investment are considered using historical and macroeconomic perspective †. The record shows America's space program has been one of the best ways to solve these "problems right here on Earth." The positive economic and environmental externalities created by secondary and tertiary functions of NASA, military, and private space programs far outweigh the current level of financial investment.