Space Freedoms

Much thinking about humanity’s future beyond Earth is  focused on the technologies needed to support life. But what kinds of lives might we want to lead in space? With this project, we’re beginning a series of dialogs with people from across the world to articulate the values that should undergird future spacefaring society. 

We draw inspiration from US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s articulation of the “Four Freedoms.” In his 1941 State of the Union Address to Congress, Roosevelt sought to explain to Congress and an American public that was averse to entanglement in another global conflict why the United States must join in the defense of the Allied Powers:

"No realistic American can expect from a dictator’s peace international generosity, or return of true independence, or world disarmament, or freedom of expression, or freedom of religion – or even good business."

Roosevelt characterized “the things worth fighting for” as four freedoms that should characterize a free, democratic society:

1. Freedom of speech
2. Freedom of religion
3. Freedom from want
4. Freedom from Fear

Delivered against the backdrop of a United State emerging from the Great Depression, these were lofty goals. But they took root in the American imagination, in substantial part due to their translation and popularization by American artist Norman Rockwell.  

Rockwell stated he wanted to, “make some statement about why the country was fighting the war”. The paintings uphold familiar themes of community, work ethic, educational and judicial systems, the political process, and the family. In the face of an adversary, the war effort (and the nation state’s role) was justified as a method to preserve the security of the American way of life – in particular, the family unit. 

At the start of a new era of space exploration, we see a similar need to identify the values that should animate spacefaring society. And we also see a need for discursive artifacts that can help spur and reflect the outputs of deliberation of these values. 

The physics of movement in the space domain—including its regions of vast emptiness far from the surface of any celestial body—are more complex than on the Earth’s surface, with various environmental forces pushing and pulling on spacecraft and affecting their trajectories. “Freedom of movement” captures the value that all space operators should be free to traverse the space environment without being the threat of collision or being accused of trespassing on private property. This concept is illustrated by a young girl jumping rope on the edge of a lunar outpost: exercising her freedom to explore the stretches of the lunar surface beyond her hometown. 

From the Artist: “When exploring ways to convey the idea of the freedom to move and wander, I couldn’t help but imagine the natural sense of exploration and whimsy that a child would have on the surface of the moon jumping rope at 1/6th gravity. I think that this is the same sense of play, wonder and penchant for exploration that others who will traverse the cosmos will possess in the future.”

Despite the high costs associated with space technologies, heritage spacecraft are notoriously fragile. Space objects are vulnerable to kinetic, electronic, and cyber threats from Earth and space-based platforms. “Freedom from fear” captures the value of spacefarers' right to safety and security, regardless of the state of conflict on the Earth’s surface. The concept is illustrated in parallel with Rockwell’s second vignette: two parents tucking in their children at night, with the Earth’s limb in sight. 

From the Artist: “Rockwell's Freedom From Fear is a brilliant illustration that depicts the tender interaction between parents tucking in their young children against the ominous backdrop of war. The subtle allusion to this is found in the slight text on a newspaper. Inspired by this masterpiece, I aimed to create a piece that directly references it by imagining a similar scene and composition set in zero gravity. There are many reasons to be fearful when exploring the vast expanse of our universe, and I believe that the love people share is the greatest force for conquering this fear of the unknown.”

Future spacefarers will have different visions for the communities they wish to build in orbit, on interplanetary trajectories, and on the surface of celestial bodies. “Freedom to create” captures the value that all spacefarers should have a part in the development of communal architectures, not just those associated with private companies or powerful governments. This concept is illustrated by a collaborative meeting between engineers, designers, and construction workers at the place of an undeveloped Martian site. The participants are meeting a circle, with no professional occupying a position of higher stature. 

From the Artist: “When considering the idea of freedom in the workplace, I envisioned a group of people with diverse personal and professional backgrounds who share the joy of creating together. The circular composition was intended to suggest an important and exciting meeting among individuals who have equal participation and input in a vast project on an unknown planet. This spirit of joy in one's work, discovery, and collaboration towards ambitious endeavors is a powerful force for human ingenuity.”

Future spacefaring societies—distant in both space and time—may stand on the shoulders of colonial empires, but should function free from their oppressive practices. Spacefarers should be free from exploitation. “Freedom from oppression” describes a future for humanity with less conflict—one free to chart a new culture of interoperator collaboration. This concept is illustrated by a gallery display on an asteroid: a celestial museum dedicated to telling stories of the history of human atrocity and of hope for a future free of atrocity, from both before and after the dawn of the space age.

From the Artist: “It was initially challenging to determine how best to illustrate the idea of a freedom from colonialism. The idea of a future free of the exploitation and other various follies of the past conjured up ideas of walking through a museum which displayed relics of a former time. Muskets, canons, helmets and FIAT currencies are symbols that I believe reflect various elements of colonialism. These anachronistic objects are set against the stark infinity of the cosmos suggesting the limitless wonder that lies beyond these once limiting objects and ideas.”