Sustainable Space Initiative

YouTube video by Cosmoimaginaries Earthly & extraterrestrial connections: CETI/SETI in Armenia & Czechoslovakia | Gabriela Radulescu

For folk interested in international perspectives on SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence): a presentation from @gabriela-radulescu.bsky.social on Armenia & the former Czechoslovakia combining science, politics & ancient cultural–astronomical traditions.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=059T...

Sustainability within Aotearoa New Zealand’s aerospace sector: current state and implications for the future Aotearoa New Zealand's rapidly growing aerospace sector is still in its infancy, which presents us with the unique opportunity to incorporate sustainability as a key performance parameter from the ...

Their comments arise from our latest findings on Aotearoa NZ's aerospace sector and sustainability with @sarahhbickerton.bsky.social & team: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

What went wrong with MethaneSat – and who should answer for it? New Zealand’s first publicly funded space mission has ended with a lost satellite and a debate about how we spend our money in space.<br />

Our members @drpriaero.bsky.social and @catherineq.bsky.social quoted in @thespinoff.bsky.social on NZ's MethaneSat involvement:

thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin...

Read the latest paper on successful launch site planning co-authored by our lead @drpriaero.bsky.social

🗞 csps.aerospace.org/papers/space...

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🔗 Read the full paper here: csps.aerospace.org/papers/space...
📍Published by the Center for Space Policy & Strategy @ Aerospace Corporation

With support from:
Sustainable Space Initiative @ University of Auckland

#spaceports #spacesustainability #spacestrategy #AotearoaInSpace

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✅ Looking offshore?
Floating launch/landing platforms could relieve land-use pressures — but they come with serious engineering & cost challenges.

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✅ Spaceports don’t succeed in isolation.
They need ecosystems:
⚙️ Supporting infrastructure
👩‍🔬 Talent pipelines
📜 Regulation
🤝 Public-private partnerships
(NZ is doing some things right here!)

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✅ Trust is key.
Opaque processes & poor consultation — especially with Indigenous communities — can derail projects before they launch.

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✅ Not all spaceports deliver promised benefits.
Our US & NZ case studies show failed projections, financial shortfalls & community opposition where stakeholder engagement was weak.

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✅ Forecasting launch demand is tricky.
Satellite filings often overestimate demand — only a fraction of proposed satellites actually make it to orbit.

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✅ Spaceport ambitions must be grounded in practical realities.
Launch sites should balance space aspirations with regional economic, environmental & social needs.

Sustainability within Aotearoa New Zealand’s aerospace sector: current state and implications for the future Aotearoa New Zealand's rapidly growing aerospace sector is still in its infancy, which presents us with the unique opportunity to incorporate sustainability as a key performance parameter from the ...

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Read more about Sarah’s work and the SSI’s research into space sustainability in Aotearoa: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

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Her work reminds us: sustainability isn’t just technical—it’s social. It’s about systems, stories, and power.

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She helps the SSI ask questions like:
🌌 Who defines “sustainability” in space?
🌌 How do policy, culture & communication shape governance?
🌌 How can we ensure diverse voices & values guide our space future?

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Now, she’s turning that lens to space.

Sarah’s helps us critically examine how sustainability is understood and implemented in Aotearoa’s emerging space sector—who’s involved, what assumptions are made, and what narratives guide our national direction.

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Her PhD explored how women in Aotearoa construct political participation in digital spaces—interrogating voice, power, and identity through a transdisciplinary lens.

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Sarah is based at the Public Policy Institute & School of Social Sciences, @aucklanduni.bsky.social. She brings a unique background in astrophysics, sociology, gender studies, and public policy to her work with the SSI.

Woman smiling with a sci-fi space background

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To showcase the breadth of expertise behind the Sustainable Space Initiative (SSI), we’re profiling each of our members 👇

Next up: Dr. @sarahhbickerton.bsky.social — political sociologist, public policy researcher, and cross-disciplinary thinker. 🛰️🌏

Futures and Foresight: How to use these useful frameworks to prepare for change Futures and Foresight provide important insight and knowledge to inform innovation and experimentation

5/ His approach? Exploring what’s probable, plausible, possible—and preferable—so we can act deliberately today to build a better tomorrow. 💡

📖 Learn more about Adam’s work in strategic foresight: climateconnectnz.com/news/futures...

4/ At SSI, Adam applies futures thinking to aerospace sustainability:

🌏 How might launch infrastructure evolve with global climate goals?
🛰️ What governance models will protect the orbital commons?
🚀 How do we build long-term thinking into rapid innovation?

3/ From conducting environmental impact assessments for international mining projects…
To developing low carbon strategies for Kent County Council…
To advising on climate resilience and aerospace sustainability…

Adam bridges science with strategy to shape better futures.

2/ Adam is Principal Strategic Advisor in Auckland Council’s Strategic Advice Unit, with a background spanning planetary science, mining, public policy, and futures thinking.

His PhD? In Space & Planetary Science.
His mission? Helping society navigate complexity.

1/ To showcase the breadth of expertise behind the Sustainable Space Initiative, we’re profiling each of our members 👇

Meet Dr Adam Morris – a strategic foresight expert helping communities and decision-makers explore not just one future, but many. 🧵

Woman smiling on stage in graduation regalia

Huge congrats to Ronda Geise on completing her Master’s in Mechanical Engineering @UniAuckland! Her futures-focused research analysed global space strategies for sustainability. Now being submitted to Earth System Governance Journal—well done, Ronda! 🚀🌍 #SpaceSustainability #STEM

YouTube video by University of Auckland - Website video repository Impact stories | Creating research impact with Dr Priyanka Dhopa

Why should NZ care about space sustainability? Our research lead @drpriaero.bsky.social introduces our work in this research impact video commissioned by Uni of Auckland.

youtu.be/gnI8x2UUR1Q?...

With gratitude to our co-author team, coordinated by @drpriaero.bsky.social:
Carolle Varughese Lena Henry Adam Morris @sarahhbickerton.bsky.social Nicholas Rattenbury Cody Mankelow Alice Gorman @drspacejunk.bsky.social Stevie Katavich-Barton
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Full paper is available for free download from the SSI website: www.ssi.org.nz/_files/ugd/1...
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As a nation w/ a rapidly growing space industry, we have a responsibility to champion inclusive & sustainable space governance practices. This includes developing a Treaty-based planning framework that prioritises partnership & recognises the principles of tino rangatiratanga & kaitiakitanga. [7/9]

Our bicultural framework, founded on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, provides a model for partnering w/ Indigenous groups to co-govern space resources - a paradigm that is more important now than ever. [6/9]

Partnering w/ Indigenous groups: Indigenous knowledges & practices, rooted in deep understanding and respect for the environment, offer invaluable insights into sustainable resource management. [5/9]