Australia celebrates a long space heritage and yet many Australians don’t connect with our connection to space. In Australia and internationally, space plays an important but largely unseen role for many critical day to day functions. The most visible parts of space – rockets, astronauts, Mars expeditions – are an essential part of the sector but don’t fully encapsulate what it means to be a spacefaring nation. For many Australians, development of the space industry seems at odds with challenges that are more down to Earth, such as housing access, difficulties faced by remote and rural communities, and Indigenous representation. A strong national narrative around space could help communicate how pivotal space is in Australia and globally, and illustrate how space may play a role as we face these challenges and others as a nation.

One team will explore what this narrative might look like, and how it could be established, in this topic. The team will consider case studies from other countries with space narratives that are an integral part of their national identity. They will examine how Australia can build upon its space history, and the benefits that space already brings to our unique country in areas such as climate change and agriculture, to identify enduring values that might form part of this narrative.

A space narrative that resonates with a country and its culture and goals ensures investment and public support through changes in government and changes to the funding landscape in a country. Clear communication to the public, and educational strategies that highlight the relevance of space to everyday life, are key. As Australia prepares to welcome the international space community next year, this topic will explore the question: what story will we tell them?