Transplanetary Ecologies Reading Group

Continuous human presence in Low Earth Orbit, increasing expansion of techno-scientific infrastructures beyond Earth, and the extractivist ambitions of the commercial 'New Space' sector call for a reconsideration of the conventional analytical frameworks used to describe emergent (extra)terrestrial political, ecological, and social processes. The Transplanetary Ecologies reading group will interrogate this emerging paradigm, asking questions such as: how do the various infrastructures of space science exact their own ecological tolls? How do contemporary configurations of (neo)colonial power, engendered by progress-oriented visions of contemporary space industries, shape our understanding of extraterrestrial environments? What forms of (trans)planetary ecologies are needed to account for the imaginaries, materialities and entanglements brought about by space science? What do increasing calls for space sustainability mean in practice? 

Over the academic year 2022/2023 we will gather to discuss these questions and more. Our reading group is open to all, irrespective of your level of space related knowledge.

Our fifth session will take place on Zoom, on Wednesday, April 19th at 5pm BST/4pm UTC. For this session we will read: 

• "Of Astronauts and Algae: NASA and the Dream of Multispecies Spaceflight" by Leah V. Aronowsky. 
• “Bloodchild” by Octavia Butler. [Trigger warning for body horror]

Both texts can be found open access online. Please email the reading group conveners Makar: makar.tereshin.21@ucl.ac.uk and Rachel: rachel.hill.21@ucl.ac.uk for zoom link and any other assistance needed.

Reading suggestions for future sessions welcome!