Yesterday's ideas shape tomorrow's spaceflight.
Expertise - Society
Space & culture
Long before humans flew into space, it was part of myths, stories and images. We research how culture shapes our image of spaceflight and how spaceflight changes our culture.
Space was in our minds before we reached it
Long before humans could reach space, it existed in religions, stories, images and visions of the future. To this day, literature, film, art, media and pop culture shape how societies perceive spaceflight and what they expect from it.
What we study
Our Space & Culture department asks how ideas of space emerge, how society's visions of the future change, and how scientific and technological developments are processed culturally.
Space in media & pop culture
How film, literature, art and pop culture shape our image of space, from early futuristic novels to today's science fiction.
Visions of the future
How society's ideas of progress and exploration change, and what expectations they attach to spaceflight.
Looking back at Earth
How spaceflight changes our perspective on Earth and on ourselves.
Culture as a way in
Exhibitions, events and creative formats reach people who rarely engage with traditional science offerings.
More on space and society
The culture, history and politics of spaceflight are closely linked. Explore our other departments.
How ideas of space emerge, how visions of the future change, and how literature, film, art, media and pop culture shape what societies expect from spaceflight.
Because cultural images influence how people perceive spaceflight, what they expect from it and which kind of spaceflight they support politically.
Images of Earth from space have changed how we see our planet. Astronauts describe this shift in perspective as the "overview effect". We study how such experiences affect society.
Exhibitions, events and creative formats reach people who rarely come into contact with traditional science offerings. That makes culture an important way into spaceflight.
