Astronauts on Strike! Spaceports, Colonial Telescopes and Labor Unions in the Stars

If Elon Musk announcing plans for a million satellite data centers in space had you screaming into the ether, then this week’s episode is for you!

I talked to Dr Katherine Sammler, a geographer who looks at the intersection of science and politics in the oceans, atmospheres, and outer space. We discussed how colonialism and scientific exploration has long been entangled, from building telescopes on sacred indigenous land in Hawaii today to James Cook claiming islands while following a star centuries ago. We also talked about the little known construction of “SpacePorts,” or public transport hubs preparing us for future in the stars—and why they’ve only been used as filming sets. Finally, Kate explains who exactly are the Autonomous Astronauts and why the first labor strike in space might already have happened . . .

As always, you can listen to it here or subscribe here (Spotify) or here (Apple Podcasts). If you like us, please rate, review and share the Anti-Dystopians to help us get new listeners.

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From the Episode

By Katherine:

• Sammler, K . Intimate outer space: Gravity, waste, & the spatial orientation of bodies. GeoHumanities, 10(1), 171–191. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1080/2373566X.2024.2325947.

• Sammler K. and C. Lynch. Observation and occupation: Settler colonialism and space science infrastructure in Hawai’i. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 39(5):945–965. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1177/02637758211042374

• Sammler, K. and C. Lynch. Spaceport America: Contested offworld access and the everyman astronaut. Geopolitics, 26(3):704–728. Special Section: Critical Geopolitics of Outer Space. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1080/14650045.2019.1569631.

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