Outer Space and Popular Culture: Influences and Interrelations

181 Pages·2019·7.872 MB·English

by  Annette Froehlich

Southern Space Studies
Series Editor: Annette Froehlich
Annette Froehlich Editor
Outer Space and
Popular Culture
Influences and Interrelations
Southern Space Studies
Series Editor
Annette Froehlich , University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
Advisory Editors
Josef Aschbacher, European Space Agency, Frascati, Italy
Rigobert Bayala, National Observatory of Sustainable Development,
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Carlos Caballero León, Peruvian Space Agency, Lima, Peru
Guy Consolmagno, Vatican Observatory, Castel Gandolfo, Vatican City State
Juan de Dalmau, International Space University, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
Driss El Hadani, Royal Center for Remote Sensing of Morocco, Rabat, Morocco
Dirk Heinzmann, Bundeswehr Command and Staff College, Hamburg, Germany
El Hadi Gashut, Regional Center For Remote Sensing of North Africa States,
Tunis, Tunisia
Peter Martinez, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
FranciscoJavierMendieta-Jiménez,MexicanSpaceAgency,MexicoCity,Mexico
Félix Clementino Menicocci, Argentinean Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sias Mostert, African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment,
Muizenburg, South Africa
Val Munsami, South African National Space Agency, Silverton, South Africa
Greg Olsen, Entrepreneur-Astronaut, Princeton, NJ, USA
Azzedine Oussedik, Algerian Space Agency, Alger, Algeria
Xavier Pasco, Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique, Paris, France
Alejandro J. Román M., Paraguayan Space Agency, Asunción, Paraguay
Kai-Uwe Schrogl, International Institute of Space Law, Paris, France
Dominique Tilmans, YouSpace, Wellin, Belgium
Jean-Jacques Tortora, European Space Policy Institute, Vienna, Austria
The Southern Space Studies series presents analyses of space trends, market
evolutions,policies,strategiesandregulations,aswellastherelatedsocial,economic
and political challenges of space-related activities in the Global South, with a
particular focus on developing countries in Africa and Latin America. Obtaining
insideinformationfromemergingspace-faringcountriesintheseregionsispivotal
to establish and strengthen efficient and beneficial cooperation mechanisms in the
space arena, and to gain a deeper understanding of their rapidly evolving space
activities.Tothisend,theseriesprovidestransdisciplinaryinformationforafruitful
development of space activities in relevant countries and cooperation with
established space-faring nations. It is, therefore, a reference compilation for space
activitiesintheseareas.
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/16025
Annette Froehlich
Editor
Outer Space and Popular
Culture
Influences and Interrelations
123
Editor
Annette Froehlich
Department ofElectrical
Engineering/SpaceLab
University of Cape Town
Rondebosch,SouthAfrica
ISSN 2523-3718 ISSN 2523-3726 (electronic)
SouthernSpace Studies
ISBN978-3-030-22655-8 ISBN978-3-030-22656-5 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22656-5
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Preface
The contemporary space arena is undergoing a phase of rapid expansion and
transformationastherangeofspaceactors,activities,andcapabilitiesareincreasing
aroundtheglobe,includingintheSouth.Asnewrisingspaceactorsenterthefield,
space is also playing an ever greater role in driving innovation and economic
growth,furtherdeepeningitsimpactonthedailylivesofbillionsofpeople.Indeed,
italreadyformspartofthe‘invisibleplumbing’ofmodernsocietyinareassuchas
telecommunications, banking, navigation, Earth observation, and weather fore-
casting, among others. For the most part, public attention is drawn on the more
‘glamorous’aspectsofspace,whichhavealsobecomedeeplyembeddedinmodern
popular culture, especially through the visual and performing arts, with many
examplesofpopularspace-themedfilmsandmarketingcampaigns.Despitethis,the
interrelationship between space and popular culture has been underexplored in
scientific literature, particularly the ways in which space has become embedded in
popular culture and consciousness—a gap this volume seeks to fill.
Accordingly, this publication provides a detailed description of how space and
popular culture intersect across a broad spectrum of popular media including cin-
ema, music, art, arcade games, cartoons, comics, advertisements, and others, with
an analysis of how the space figures in the particular context/s chosen. This is a
pertinenttopicsincetheuseofspacethemesdiffersbasedonculturalcontexts,and
space themes can be used to explore various aspects of the human condition and
provide a detached context for social commentary on politically sensitive issues.
Therefore, special attention is also paid to accounts of space and its effect on
culture, language, and storytelling from the South.
Rondebosch, South Africa Dr. Annette Froehlich
May 2019
v
Contents
1 The Influence of Mass Media on Society’s Views of Space
Travel During the Cold War. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Nicolas Ringas
2 Space and Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Eunice Pieterse
3 The Use of Space in a Meaningful Manner as Part of Popular
Culture in the Form of the Science Fiction Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Anton de Waal Alberts
4 The Role of Space in Aesthetic and Practical Design
of Automobiles: A Look at Five Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
James Wilson
5 Space Robots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Karmini Konar
6 Artificial Gravity in Popular Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Carl Eriksen
7 Youngsters, Dreams and Motivation for Space Exploration . . . . . . 63
Nasir Mehmood
8 Clowns in Space: An Introduction to Circus Aliens
and Spaced-Out Comic Performers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Anna-Sophie Jürgens
9 Keeping the Torch Burning for ‘Good Science’ in Popular
Culture: Video Games, Space, and Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
André Siebrits
10 Regarding Influences of Space on Popular Culture via
the Medium of Science Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Neal Prins
11 Unspoiled Space: The Use of Space in Popular Culture
as a Caution Against Environmental Degradation on Earth . . . . . . 117
David Lindgren
vii
viii Contents
12 Predictions of Science Fiction That Came True . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Mónica Estébanez Camarena
13 Seven Billion Deer in the Headlights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Bas Martens
14 Hope at the Frontier: Firefly and the Value
of Space Exploration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Mehak Sarang
15 The Space Activities of Animals in African Fairy Tales in Light
of International Space Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Annette Froehlich
1
The Influence of Mass Media
on Society’s Views of Space Travel
During the Cold War
Nicolas Ringas
Abstract
This article explores how the two world superpowers during the Cold War, the
UnitedStatesofAmericaandtheUnionofSovietSocialistRepublics,usedmass
mediaasatooltorallysupportandinvokenationalisticpridefortheirrespective
space programmes. Five specific examples of mass media, including magazine
articles, films and posters, are analysed in this context. It also discusses the
unique socio-economic setting of the Space Race and how the need for space
superiorityledtotheunprecedentedinvestment,developmentandbreakthroughs
in space technologies.
1.1 Introduction
“In my opinion, it will be possible to launch an artificial Earth satellite within the
next two years.” Leonid Sedov’s above statement, delivered at a press conference
held at the 6th International Astronautical Congress, on the 2nd of August 1955,
commencedtheSpaceRace.Fourdayspriortothis,thePressSecretaryofPresident
N.Ringas(&)
UniversityoftheWitwatersrand,Johannesburg,SouthAfrica
e-mail:[email protected]
UniversityofCapeTown,CapeTown,SouthAfrica
©SpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2020 1
A.Froehlich(ed.),OuterSpaceandPopularCulture,SouthernSpaceStudies,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22656-5_1
2 N.Ringas
Eisenhower, James Haggerty, formally announced America’s plans to launch
“Earth-circling satellites” as part of the International Geophysical Year (IGY).1
These announcements were made during the peak of the Cold War, a geopo-
litical war raging between the United States of America (USA) and the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The war between the two world superpowers
wasabattleoftwoideologies:capitalismversuscommunism.Thewarcommenced
shortly after the end of World War Two, with mistrust between the two super-
powers at unparalleled highs.2
The two superpowersnever engaged incombatwith oneanotherdirectly asthe
consequencesweretoodiretorisk.Instead,thewarwasfoughtusingproxywarsand
client states, with the threat of Mutual Assured Destruction the main deterrent for
combat.AfterWorldWarII,boththeSovietsandtheAmericans obtained brilliant
Germanrocketscientists,initiatingafrenziedarmsracetodevelopnuclearwarhead
capabilities. Espionage became a vital role to both powers, with each trying to
determine the full capabilities of the other. Massive propaganda campaigns were
initiated,eachwiththeintentofpromotingtheirownideologyanddiscreditingthe
other.3Nationalpridesoaredinthetwocountries,witheachsmallvictoryinsports,
technologyorindustrybeinglaudedasahugesuccessofeitherideology.However,
withthisdeep-rootednationalism,fearsofanuclearapocalypsegrippedthepublic.4
Theaboveservestocontextualisethesocio-economicsettingoftheSpaceRace.
Space became an international stage on which the two superpowers could exhibit
their technological advancements and military strength. Technological superiority
in space became an issue of national security and national pride, the attainment of
which became deeply ingrained in the general public’s minds. These notions were
further aggregated with the success of Sputnik 1 in 1957. Martin Summerfield of
Princeton University’s Astronautics editorial stated: “The success of the Russian
Sputnik was convincing and dramatic proof to the people around the world of the
real prospects of space travel. The fact that a 23 in. sphere weighing 184 lb has
beenplacedinanalmostprecisecircularorbitindicatesthatanumberofimportant
technological problems such as high thrust rocket engines, lightweight missile
structures, accurate guidance, stable autopilot control, and large scale launching
methods have been solved…”5
The national space programmes of the two superpowers grew exponentially
during the Cold War. Military budgets, coupled with mass public support, fuelled
advancementsinspacetravelatafreneticrate.Intheyear1959,lessthan30tonnes
1J.Logsdonetal.,ReconsideringSputnik:FortyYearssincetheSovietSatellite,PsychologyPress,
2000.
2W.McDougall,TheHeavensandtheEarth:aPoliticalHistoryintheSpaceAge,BasicBooks,
NewYork,1985.
3G.Palotta,SpaceRacePropaganda:USAvsUSSR.AMatterofPosters,PaoloaCasoliBlog,30
Dec 2014, URL: www.paolacasoli.com/2014/12/space-race-propaganda-usa-vs-urss-a-matter-of-
posters/,lastaccessed11Mar2018.
4W.McDougall,TheHeavensandtheEarth:aPoliticalHistoryintheSpaceAge,BasicBooks,
NewYork,1985.
5M.Summerfield,ProblemsofLaunchinganEarthSatellite,Astronautics,USA,Nov1957.