Welcome to the season finale of Space Matters! ACSG Chair Dr. Cassandra Steer sits down with Dr. Alexander Deejay, ACSG Executive Director, to rethink what makes space “cool”—and why that might not be the best way to understand its true importance.

While rockets, astronauts, and sci-fi dominate pop culture, the reality of space activity is far more mundane—and essential. Satellites support weather forecasts, GPS navigation, and disaster response, making space-based infrastructure a central part of modern life.

Together, they explore how Hollywood and NASA have shaped public perceptions, how the myth of space as a frontier affects policy, and whether technological utopianism taint space’s true value. They also discuss how framing space as critical infrastructure could encourage more sustainable public investment.

Thank you for joining us throughout Season One. Stay tuned for more in our next season.

For more reading:

• Australian Attitudes on Space by Gender Report: https://www.spacegovcentre.org/_files/ugd/ed2eed_c26a86d9a1be4641a54aa32cca334d54.pdf
• Looking Up from Down Under: Australian Attitudes to National Space Activities: https://www.spacegovcentre.org/_files/ugd/ed2eed_d028d1b713fe425d98f0ecb0064c1329.pdf
• Securing Australia Through Space" policy paper series: https://www.spacegovcentre.org/our-research

In this episode, Dr. Cassandra Steer sits down with Dr. Tristan Moss from UNSW Canberra to discuss the history of Australia’s involvement in space, focusing on the deep-rooted military influences that have shaped its space trajectory. From the launch of WRESAT, Australia’s first satellite developed through a military collaboration, to the Woomera testing range, a site with a legacy of missile testing and military technology development, Dr. Moss explores the legacy of defence interests in Australia’s early space initiatives.

The episode also looks at Australia’s strategic participation in the European Launcher Development Organization during the Cold War, where geopolitical alliances affected the importance of resilience and collaboration. Dr. Moss and Dr. Steer discuss the lessons of Australia’s military space history, the impact of public perception on the national space narrative, and how these histories continue to inform Australia’s current and future space policies.

• Moss T, 2024, '“Consider Carefully the Best Use of Our Limited Resources”: Australian Space Policy, 1960–72', Australian Journal of Politics & History, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajph.12995
• Moss T, 2020, '‘There Are Many Other Things More Important to Us Than Space Research’: The Australian Government and the Dawn of the Space Age, 1956–62', Australian Historical Studies, 51, pp. 442 - 458, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1031461x.2020.1766522
• ACSG pubic opinion survey "Looking Up From Down Under: Australian Attitudes to National Space Activities" https://www.spacegovcentre.org/_files/ugd/ed2eed_d028d1b713fe425d98f0ecb0064c1329.pdf

In this bonus episode of “Space Security is Here and Now”, Dr. Cassandra Steer interviews Jessica West, senior researcher at Project Ploughshares, to discuss her work on space security and her latest report on “hidden human insecurities in space”. The conversation covers the human impact of space activities, emphasising the uneven distribution of space benefits and harms, and the importance of addressing these issues through diverse, inclusive governance.
Jessica highlights the challenges marginalised communities face in accessing space capabilities, particularly the critical role of connectivity, and explains the concept of “triple vulnerability” in the context of space security threats. They also explore the need for alternative, human-centred approaches to space security, including intersectional feminism, human rights, and environmental stewardship.

• “Hidden Harms: Human (In)security in Outer Space: Consultation Report” https://www.ploughshares.ca/reports/hidden-harms-human-in-security-in-outer-space-consultation-report

• "Lost in Space: Feminist Considerations of Space Security" https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6159-0858