Book ID: CBB879511970

Astrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race (2022)

unapi

Mary-Jane Rubenstein (Author)


University of Chicago Press
Pages: 224


Publication Date: 2022
Physical Details: 12 halftones
Language: English

A revealing look at the parallel mythologies behind the colonization of Earth and space—and a bold vision for a more equitable, responsible future both on and beyond our planet. As environmental, political, and public health crises multiply on Earth, we are also at the dawn of a new space race in which governments team up with celebrity billionaires to exploit the cosmos for human gain. The best-known of these pioneers are selling different visions of the future: while Elon Musk and SpaceX seek to establish a human presence on Mars, Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin work toward moving millions of earthlings into rotating near-Earth habitats. Despite these distinctions, these two billionaires share a core utopian project: the salvation of humanity through the exploitation of space. In Astrotopia, philosopher of science and religion Mary-Jane Rubenstein pulls back the curtain on the not-so-new myths these space barons are peddling, like growth without limit, energy without guilt, and salvation in a brand-new world. As Rubenstein reveals, we have already seen the destructive effects of this frontier zealotry in the centuries-long history of European colonialism. Much like the imperial project on Earth, this renewed effort to conquer space is presented as a religious calling: in the face of a coming apocalypse, some very wealthy messiahs are offering an other-worldly escape to a chosen few. But Rubenstein does more than expose the values of capitalist technoscience as the product of bad mythologies. She offers a vision of exploring space without reproducing the atrocities of earthly colonialism, encouraging us to find and even make stories that put cosmic caretaking over profiteering.

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Reviewed By

Review Launius, Roger D. (2022-12-02) Review of "Astrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race". Science (pp. 954-954). unapi

Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB879511970/

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Authors & Contributors
Launius, Roger D.
Bizony, Piers
Determann, Jörg Matthias
Chaikin, Andrew
Worden, Al
Wagener, Leon
Concepts
Space travel; space flight
Space programs
Space research and exploration
Astronautics
Space shuttle
Science and politics
Time Periods
20th century, late
21st century
20th century
19th century
Places
United States
Soviet Union
Russia
Middle and Near East
Germany
Europe
Institutions
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Project Apollo (NASA)
United States Space Force (USSF)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
United States. Department of Defense
United States Air Force (USAF)
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