Causal layered analysis applied to Earth System Governance is the right method because it forces the analysis through four levels: litany, system, worldview, metaphor. Most governance research stays at the first two and wonders why the interventions don't stick.

NASA's lunar success sharpens focus on China's 2030 crewed landing goal. #ArtemisII

NASA's lunar success sharpens focus on China's 2030 crewed landing goal

China's bid to land astronauts on the moon is taking on greater geopolitical significance and putting pressure on Beijing to meet or beat ​its timetable.

reuters.com

🛰️ Space strategy isn’t just policy, it’s storytelling. Behind growth, security, and innovation sit deeper metaphors shaping how we imagine space. 🧵👇 🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.es...

For folk interested in international perspectives on SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence): a presentation from @gabriela-radulescu.bsky.social on Armenia & the former Czechoslovakia combining science, politics & ancient cultural–astronomical traditions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=059T...

Earthly & extraterrestrial connections: CETI/SETI in Armenia & Czechoslovakia | Gabriela Radulescu

YouTube video by Cosmoimaginaries

youtube.com

Our members @drpriaero.bsky.social and @catherineq.bsky.social quoted in @thespinoff.bsky.social on NZ's MethaneSat involvement: thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin...

What went wrong with MethaneSat – and who should answer for it?

New Zealand’s first publicly funded space mission has ended with a lost satellite and a debate about how we spend our money in space.<br />

thespinoff.co.nz

Read the latest paper on successful launch site planning co-authored by our lead @drpriaero.bsky.social 🗞 csps.aerospace.org/papers/space...

Priyanka Dhopade@drpriaero.bsky.social · last yr.

1/ Successful spaceports need to work not just for rockets — but for people and places, too. 🚀🌏 Excited to share our latest paper on spaceport site selection, co-authored with the brilliant Karen L. Jones & Dr. Lindsay DeMarchi @ Aerospace Corporation + expert contributors from across the sector. 🧵👇

8/ 🔗 Read the full paper here: csps.aerospace.org/papers/space... 📍Published by the Center for Space Policy & Strategy @ Aerospace Corporation With support from: Sustainable Space Initiative @ University of Auckland #spaceports #spacesustainability #spacestrategy #AotearoaInSpace

7/ ✅ Looking offshore? Floating launch/landing platforms could relieve land-use pressures — but they come with serious engineering & cost challenges.

6/ ✅ Spaceports don’t succeed in isolation. They need ecosystems: ⚙️ Supporting infrastructure 👩‍🔬 Talent pipelines 📜 Regulation 🤝 Public-private partnerships (NZ is doing some things right here!)

5/ ✅ Trust is key. Opaque processes & poor consultation — especially with Indigenous communities — can derail projects before they launch.

4/ ✅ Not all spaceports deliver promised benefits. Our US & NZ case studies show failed projections, financial shortfalls & community opposition where stakeholder engagement was weak.

3/ ✅ Forecasting launch demand is tricky. Satellite filings often overestimate demand — only a fraction of proposed satellites actually make it to orbit.

2/ ✅ Spaceport ambitions must be grounded in practical realities. Launch sites should balance space aspirations with regional economic, environmental & social needs.

1/ To showcase the breadth of expertise behind the Sustainable Space Initiative (SSI), we’re profiling each of our members 👇 Next up: Dr. @sarahhbickerton.bsky.social — political sociologist, public policy researcher, and cross-disciplinary thinker. 🛰️🌏

1/ To showcase the breadth of expertise behind the Sustainable Space Initiative, we’re profiling each of our members 👇 Meet Dr Adam Morris – a strategic foresight expert helping communities and decision-makers explore not just one future, but many. 🧵

Huge congrats to Ronda Geise on completing her Master’s in Mechanical Engineering @UniAuckland! Her futures-focused research analysed global space strategies for sustainability. Now being submitted to Earth System Governance Journal—well done, Ronda! 🚀🌍 #SpaceSustainability #STEM

Why should NZ care about space sustainability? Our research lead @drpriaero.bsky.social introduces our work in this research impact video commissioned by Uni of Auckland. youtu.be/gnI8x2UUR1Q?...

Impact stories | Creating research impact with Dr Priyanka Dhopa

YouTube video by University of Auckland - Website video repository

youtu.be

Spotlight on our recent analysis: "The intersection of space and sustainability: the need for a transdisciplinary and bi-cultural approach" Space sustainability is a complex issue, & as we watch burning rocket bodies light up the sky, space debris mitigation tends to dominate the discussion. [1/9]

Welcome to the Sustainable Space Initiative! We are a multidisciplinary research initiative, formed in 2022, hosted by the University of Auckland. Our work takes a holistic approach to space sustainability across four main areas: systems thinking, policy, public engagement and technical solutions.