Outer space and the idea of the global commons

Abstract

Drawing upon fresh archival research and participant observation, the author traces the emergence and transformative idea of the non-weaponized and peaceful use of space from the 1920s to today. Building on this, the case study questions much of the common wisdom surrounding humans’ relationship with space over the past century. Although the beginnings of the Space Age are usually thought to have closely coincided with the Space Race beginning in 1955, the paper goes further back to the Spaceflight Movement of the 1920s and 30s, tracing the emergence of the idea of space as part of the global commons. This societal-level movement was highly transnational and collaborative in nature, and pushed for the achievement of human spaceflight decades before the technology existed, at the same time advocating for space as a peaceful domain for all of humankind. Using a new approach that also provides the basic ontological assumption for Model 3 of the special issue framework, the author argues that the impetus to engage in space exploration was fundamentally ‘ultrasocial’, defined as a human predisposition to be other-regarding, empathic, and inclined toward seeking wide-scale cooperation, even among strangers.

Outer Space as a Global Commons: An Empirical Study of Space Arrangements

“…At least three studies usefully trace the historical process that led to the social construction of the "global commons" frame for outer space. Mai'a Davis Cross (2021) uncovers its origin in the spaceflight movement of the 1920s and 1930s. She argues that this movement, which was fundamentally transnational, collaborative, pacifist, and driven by scientific motivations, provided the normative foundation for the ensuing global commons frame.…”

“…The three studies mentioned above, which explore the social construction of the space commons, rely on archival research. Cross (2021) uses archives from NASA, the European Space Agency, Boeing, and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, while Peterson (1997) and Beery (2016) base most of their analysis on documents from the United Nations General Assembly. However, agreements concluded among space actors offer another source to document how particular actors view outer space at a specific time and under certain circumstances.…”

Outer Space as a Global Common: Toward tragedy or governance

“…To say that no tension existed between the USSR and the United States would be false, but to say that no cooperation existed would be a lie, as illustrated by the moon race between the two countries. On several occasions, the goal of putting a man on the moon was considered a joint project between the USSR and the United States, with, for instance, the 1969 Kennedy proposal of a joint moon landing (Cross, 2021). In the end, the 1969 lunar landing was American; however, it is essential to note the international character of this project.…”

“…However, to be considered spacefaring nations, a satellite launch seems sufficient (Brünner & Soucek, 2012). Thus we have gone from 2 spacefaring nations to over 72 countries with space programs and 14 countries with launch capabilities (Cross, 2021). In addition, at the beginning of the 21st century, new space actors such as regional organisations (European Space Agency) and private actors (Space X) have multiplied.…”

Space Security and the Transatlantic Relationship

“…On the other hand, many non-state actors, such as space agencies, scientists, and commercial entities have tended to pursue space exploration as a shared, cooperative endeavor. I have argued that despite sometimes sharply opposed narratives coming from state versus non-state actors, in practice space actors have largely treated space as a fundamentally peaceful domain for all of humankind, an inherent part of the global commons (Cross, 2021). I have traced this approach back to what I call the original spaceflight idea-which is rooted in the initial impetus to explore space in the first place around a century ago (Cross, 2019).…”