Strange New Worlds – Supporting the UK’s National Space Ambitions Beyond Science and Technology (A Place for AHSS in Space)

The space economy is considered to be a critical, and growing, component to meeting wider government goals, including reducing interregional inequality and becoming a science and technology superpower. The space industry is in the midst of a shift from a model where large publicly-funded missions dominate to one where civil space investments are increasingly shaping the space economy. This transition creates opportunities to reflect on how different players in the system interact and how the public sector, and particularly research funding, can contribute to driving growth from this sector. Supporting STEM disciplines has been seen as central to generating the knowledge base and driving innovation, however, this moment of transformation in space sectors and economies worldwide is shining a light on the vital contributions of learning from arts, humanities, and social sciences (AHSS) that generate knowledge, encourage use of space technologies and data, enable space research and innovation, and ensure that we get the right kinds of impact from investments in space. These contributions are clear across the space system in governance, missions, research and knowledge generation, and commercial activities.

This briefing note provides a succinct background on the importance and contribution of fields beyond STEM to the evolving space economy and the UK’s ambitions within it and builds a case to encourage investment at the intersection of AHSS disciplines and the space sector.

You can download the full report via the link on the right-hand side.