Sunday, November 20, 2011

Space, the Final Frontier

It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and reality of tomorrow.

— Robert Goddard, in E. M. Emme Introduction to the History of Rocket Technology, 1963

Apollo 11 Mission Crest
The world’s fascination with space exploration began in 1957 with the launch of Sputnik which was then followed by the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.  “The US space program emerged in large part because of the presence of national security during the Cold War with the Soviet Union” (Launius 205).  After reading Roger Launius’s article An Historical Overview of US Manned Space Exploration, several questions arose.  How have scientists and the public’s perception of space exploration changed between its emergence in the late 1950’s and today?  What are the goals of space exploration and how are they communicated to the public? 

The Jetsons
            In the late 1950’s and 1960’s when space exploration first emerged the public mindset was one of awe and wonder.  A mindset, as seen in the Ulser Bug case, can be defined as "a metal additude or inclination." (Merriam-Webster, 2011)  At this time the economical and human risks associated with the space program fell under the table, while the excitement of the space race came to the forefront. In 1961 President John F. Kennedy stated that “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”  (Apollo Program, 2011)   Space exploration dominated everything from politics to pop culture.  Television shows such as The Jetsons becoming hugely popular.  The Jetsons was set in the world of the future with flying cars, self cleaning houses, and fully automated workplaces.  (The Jetsons, 2011).
District 9 Movie Poster
Doctor Who and Daleks
 Pop culture has not lost its interest in space exploration but rather focused it in a new direction.  Modern day television shows such as V and Doctor Who and movies such as Battle: Los Angeles, District 9, and War of the Worlds  frame space exploration in the form of alien invasions rather than humans traveling to new planets.  Framing is making a topic appeal to a specific audience either in your manner of communication or by visual appeals (Nisbet 41).  The BBC sci-fi show Doctor Who repeatedly depicts this frame with the “Daleks conquering the earth and then occupying it along with other stolen worlds to initiate their stratagem for universal destruction.” (Alien Abduction, 2011)  By framing space in this way it appeals to a more modern audience, thus making it more profitable.     

Presently people are more connected with the science and engineering that goes into space exploration.  This deeper understanding of scientific progress is achieved through the internet, television, and science blogs relating to the subject.  Space exploration and the cosmos are less of a mystery to us.  The two cultures model that C.P. Snow described is less pronounced today than it was 60 years ago.  C.P. Snow, a British scientist and novelist, gave a speech about two distinct cultures, science and the arts/humanities.  These parties are supposedly worried about different things and don’t care about each other.  (The Two Cultures, 2011)  Today these parties are scientists and the public, dealing with the topic of space exploration.  The public is indeed interested in scientific advances and the scientists need public support for funding.  This also ties into the concept of science as a social enterprise which was first seen in the Ulser Bug Case.  Society and the media affect the way science evolves.  In the Ulser Bug Case the negative media coverage stopped the Ulser Bug concept from being accepted for years even though there was sound evidence to back up the scientific claims.  In the case of space exploration this can be directly tied to NASA funding or lack thereof.  When the space race first begun the space program was a matter of national pride and received major media coverage and funding.  As time wore on the space program became more common place and some of the hype surrounding the industry dissolved.  Failures such as the Challenger disaster and government funding issues were highlighted and given more negative media attention than positive events and discoveries were.    

Virgin Galactic: Spaceport America
Space travel has become more of a private venture rather than a government operation with companies such as the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX.   NASA is rumored to be collaborating with these private companies but will not own the designs. (NASA paves, 2011)  The Virgin Galactic company frames private space travel as a “renewal of the human spirit.”  The video of the Spaceport America inauguration ceremony is triumphant with upbeat music playing in the background.  (Virgin Galactic, 2011)  Also with the advent of the internet, private space travel companies are able to advertise and communicate their products to a wider audience.  This allows companies to use private funding rather than waiting for government contracts and approval.     

Hubble Telescope Picture
 “Man’s desire to reach out into space is a compulsion.  The more we saw, the greater this compulsion became.” As the BBC exploration series shows, powerful telescopes are searching the far reaches of the universe looking for new planets similar to Earth. (Part 1, 2009)  More than ever the public has the opportunity to be informed on advances in space exploration through blogs and science journals.  In the 50’s and 60’s the deficit model was assumed to be more prevalent.  The deficit model first introduced by Nisbet can be described follows.  “Communication is defined as a process of transmission from experts to the public with the goal of filling in the deficits in knowledge.  Facts are assumed to speak for themselves and to be interpreted by all citizens in the same way.”  (Nisbet 42)  It was presumed that the general public didn’t understand the technology that went into rockets or satellites and would blindly believe any information presented to them.  Whether this is true is another story.  Also bidirectional communication was much less widespread at the start of the space race.  Bidirectional communication is generally active communication between the public and scientists, and vice versa.  There was communication from NASA scientists and the government through television and newspapers but communication from the public was limited. 

In conclusion, the questions initially posed were partially answered.  Space exploration has become more of a private enterprise rather than a government funded operation.  Information on is more readily available, allowing for better communication between scientists and the public.  In the early days of the space race, space was viewed with awe and wonder.  Space is now viewed in a more scientific light.  If private space travel is successful this will have a huge impact on society.  An industry that was once reserved for astronauts and scientists will open to the public.  This blog ended up focusing more on background content rather that how space exploration was communicated.  To further expand on this topic more indepth research on communication in the 1950's and 60's needs to be preformed.  Particularly looking at how NASA and the government communicated with the public.  What impact did this communication have on public opinion of the space program?  How have public opinion polls of the space program changed with time?  There are vasts portions of space that have yet to be explored and this is definitely an industry to watch in the future.   
References:

Alien Abduction (2011).  Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_invasion. 
Apollo Program (2011).  Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program.   

Merriam-Webster: Mind-set definition 1.  Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mind-set
NASA Paves Way for Commercial Space Exploration (Jan 20, 2011).  Retrieved from   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m1AcpGuWVk&feature=related.
Part 1 Reaching for the Stars Space Exploration - BBC Exploration (2009).  Retrieved from  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZk7b4cd4jk. 
The Jetsons: TV Series 1962-1988 (2011).  Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055683/.   
The Two Cultures (2011).  Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Cultures. 
Virgin Galactic (2011).  Retrieved from http://www.virgingalactic.com/. 
Nisbet, C. Matthew (2010).  Framing Science: A New Paradigm in Public Engagement.  Chapter 2.  New York and London:  Routledge Publishers.