The politics of space heritage: Colonising and exploiting the final frontier

Abstract

In 1979, members of the United Nations set the precedent that the exploration of space and the celestial bodies within it should be peaceful and for the good of all humanity. However, in the twenty-first Century, Western political, cultural, and economic attitudes towards our ‘common heritage’ could not be further from this statement. This chapter examines the heritage of space exploration while considering the colonial legacies and cultural and political implications for those who do not see themselves represented in this primarily White, male, and American field. Space heritage currently reflects social inequalities seen on Earth: inequalities that are being exacerbated by the climate emergency. One response to this is to turn to the stars in hopes of securing the future of humanity but is often manifested in ways that seem to echo, if not directly repeat, the actions that have caused the need for such adaptation strategies. The chapter takes an interdisciplinary approach to analysing how fact and fiction inform space heritage, from political rhetoric to access, funding, symbolism, science fiction, heritage-making, designations, and conservation. It explores how space heritage is contested and actively disrupted by curatorial, community and ecocritical interventions. The representation of humanity on a universal platform and the future of space heritage is political and critical as it informs how we see ourselves and the planet we inhabit.