Amy Morrell

A Repeat of History? Terra Nullius, Decolonization, & the Futures of Space

As part of a self-directed foresight initiative looking at the futures of space, our team of OCADU Master of Design candidates in Strategic Foresight & Innovation, known as Guests of the Galaxy, identified a growing gap in space governance as humans risk repeating history of land colonization. This report aims to provide guidance in considering the creation of a new entity within United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), to support an ethical, sustainable and decolonizing approach to space exploration—Stewards of Space (S.O.S.). This report details growing trends and drivers impacting the space industry, and how our relationship with Earth affects our perspective and approach to space exploration. Over a period of three months, we investigated: How might we learn from our past and present relationships with the land and planet Earth to help guide our relationship with space in the future?Through an in-depth scan of terra nullius and space ownership, we built future scenarios, envisioned a new type of governance model for space, and developed strategic options for Stewards of Space (S.O.S.) to meet its goals.

“Created by: Nadia Ackah, Laurissa Barnes-Roberts, Iris Elliott, Julia Forrester, Amy Morrell”