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Image: Earth observation taken by the Expedition 44 crew on June 19, 2016. Original from NASA.
Future uses of space: Narrative evidence for space strategy
The ‘Future Uses of Space’ project has tested whether narrative evidence, often neglected, can inform future UK space policy and strategy. The project was supported by the Capabilities in Academic-Policy Engagement (CAPE) project with funding from Research England and support from the Centre for Science and Policy.
The ‘Future Uses of Space’ project involved prior work on using narrative evidence to support policy development; policy and expert stakeholder engagement; analysis of space policy documents; commissioned syntheses; analyses of space narratives; as well an interactive workshop. These activities led to a report on ‘Narrative Evidence for Space Strategy’ and guidance on using narrative evidence in policy development. The project outline is shown in the figure below.
The project team consisted of Sarah Dillon, Professor of Literature and the Public Humanities at the University of Cambridge together with Dr Claire Craig (The Queen's College, Oxford), Dr Alex Tasker (University of Bristol) and Dr Elena Violaris (University of Cambridge). The steering group included representatives from the European Space Agency, Government Office for Science and the London Institute of Space Policy and Law.
The project team advocate that developing robust space policies and strategies requires consideration of plural, interdisciplinary and novel forms of expertise and evidence (PINE). Using an approach informed by the work on ‘Storylistening’ by Dillon and Craig, the project carried out collaborative research with academics, analysts, and private- and public-sector experts to explore how evidence from the humanities can help tackle complex space-based problems faced by those in government.
Through the project’s collection and analysis activities, two key problem areas were identified - pathways and positioning, and participation and practices:
- Pathways and positioning considered political aspects of space policy, seen in issues of sovereignty, defence and security, and exploration, ownership, and governance.
- Participation and practices addressed social and public understandings and beliefs of space policy, explored through issues of space domain awareness, dark skies and climate
More information on the topics within these problem areas, and analyses of relevant narrative works can be found within the Narrative Evidence for Space Strategy report. The report is designed for strategic decision makers, but will be of interest to a wide readership including researchers, technical experts, and practitioners.