What is the guiding principle of contemporary space exploration? Is it the thirst for knowledge, love, wonder? For capitalism, the answer is “rarely”. According to Treviño, Western interest in space is driven by a colonial logic. We want to profit from it, exploit it, and ideally strengthen our position of power down here on Earth. But space exploration that is sensitive to the social conditions of earthlings, driven not by profit but by the desire to experience and discover, is possible, she says. In her thoughts on the issue, she draws inspiration from feminist ecology and the astronomical knowledge of indigenous communities.

Speaker

Natalie B. Treviño

Critical space theorist and researcher

Moderated by

Petr Boháček

Space Technology Specialist, Analyst