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UK funding (£95,539): (De)Colonising Outer Space: The New Space Economy, Asteroid Mining, and Ethnofuturist Engagements Ukri1 Oct 2022 UK Research and Innovation, United Kingdom
Overview
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(De)Colonising Outer Space: The New Space Economy, Asteroid Mining, and Ethnofuturist Engagements
| Abstract | Context Presently, there is scant material on asteroid mining broadly, and less still from a socio-legal perspective. The rapidity of this nascent industry's development in the past decade and associated public concern, as evidenced by the frequency with which this topic appears in the media, necessitates an immediate and detailed examination. Whilst hardly a week goes by without a headline appearing with the vast purported value of an asteroid's minerology, there is a dearth of academic material that critically engages with this area. The narratives (re)created by New Space Economy (NSE) elites and industry actors almost exclusively draw upon colonial analogies and associated onto-epistemological frameworks to justify their activities. However, these attempts to foreclose extraterrestrial futurity and enclose Outer Space for private exploitation are not unchallenged. Instead, alternative conceptions of how to govern and relate to Outer Space are advocated for by and through the works of Ethnofuturist artists: people who are creating futuristic art whilst drawing upon cultural histories and beliefs that frustrate or contravene the de facto futurity maintained through private industry discourses. These Ethnofuturist engagements offer critiques of the seemingly-hegemonic discourses of private industry actors, frequently posing anti-colonial discourses and insights through Indigenous knowledges and spirituality. Aims This fellowship aims to enliven and enrich emerging debates on asteroid mining and its attendant legal futurity through two main activities. First, by enhancing my PhD's impact and disseminating its findings in order to introduce the critical insights produced through engaging with indigenous knowledges and decoloniality in Outer Space studies. Second, preparing for the next stage of my research career by creating networks around this research and building upon it, drawing together several groups and disparate academics with whom I am already acquainted to begin generating interdisciplinary discussion and collaboration in this area of study. This fellowship will extend the scope of my PhD through a focused exploration of how the insights generated through my PhD can be invigorated and developed further through their being applied through a socio-legal setting. Achieving this also requires conceptual work stemming from my PhD: I will adopt a post/decolonial approach to the research area to deconstruct the normative notion of 'humanity' that is frequently invoked when discussing Outer Space legislation to begin critically accounting for the assumptions bound up within this terminology and how it supports industry actors and those already in positions of power. Consequently, this work will highlight indigenous knowledges, Ethnofuturisms, and how they problematise the normative conceptions of 'humanity' within Outer Space law and the dominant industry narrative(s). The substantive outcomes of this Fellowship will achieve these goals. I will disseminate my PhD findings through a series of academic articles, conference presentations, and will generate a book proposal to continue this dissemination beyond the course of the Fellowship. I will create a network of scholars, practitioners, and activists to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration within the research area and to establish this field further. The Fellowship will conclude with a hybrid conference to begin formalising the network and will generate media for online dissemination to reach a public audience. |
| Category | Fellowship |
| Reference | ES/X00645X/1 |
| Status | Closed |
| Funded period start | 01/10/2022 |
| Funded period end | 30/09/2023 |
| Funded value | £95,539.00 |
| Source | https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FX00645X%2F1 |
Participating Organisations
| University of Strathclyde |
The filing refers to a past date, and does not necessarily reflect the current state. The current state is available on the following page: University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
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