Militarizing Outer Space
Astroculture, Dystopia and the Cold War
Alexander CT Geppert editor Daniel Brandau editor Tilmann Siebeneichner editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Palgrave Macmillan
Published:25th Feb '23
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£109.99(9781349958504)
Militarizing Outer Space explores the dystopian and destructive dimensions of the SpaceAge and challenges conventional narratives of a bipolar Cold War rivalry. Concentrating on weapons, warfare and violence, this provocative volume examines real and imagined endeavors of arming the skies and conquering the heavens. The third and final volume in the groundbreaking European Astroculture trilogy, Militarizing OuterSpace zooms in on the interplay between security, technopolitics and knowledge fromthe 1920s through the 1980s. Often hailed as the site of heavenly utopias and otherworldly salvation, outer space transformed from a promised sanctuary to a present threat, where the battles of the future were to be waged. Astroculture proved instrumental in fathoming forms and functions of warfare’s futures past, both on earth and in space. The allure of dominating outer space, the book shows, was neither limited to the early twenty-first century nor to current American space force rhetorics.
“Militarizing Outer Space’s chapters do a valuable job in revealing the many ways that the Cold War influenced the development and reception of space technology … . the Astroculture trilogy remains an indispensable resource for scholars of space history. In their diversity, these richly detailed chapters make a compelling case for astroculture as a kaleidoscopic lens through which to examine how modernity is defined and contested.” (Thomas Ellis, Technology and Culture, Vol. 63 (4), October, 2022)
“These three books offer a fascinating reevaluation of space history from European perspectives. The forty-four total essays … are connected through periodisation, geographic focus and the unifying concept of astroculture. They aim to situate Europe within the space age and bring space into European history.” (Benjamin W. Goossen, Contemporary European History, June 17, 2022)
“The series provides an important impetus to the cultural history of outer space, introducing significant concepts including astroculture or the post-Apollo paradox, and offering terminological refinements such as the distinction between the weaponization and militarization of space.” (Nils Theinert, sehepunkte, Vol. 22 (2), 2022)
“The book is a sterling addition to any space historian’s bookshelf.” (Rick W. Sturdevant, Air Power History, Vol. 68 (3), 2021)
“The thirteen chapters in this superbly edited, multidisciplinary collection amount to a fantastically engaging, historiographical contribution. … from an astrocultural perspective and given the recent establishment of a United States Space Force, Militarizing Outer Space ought to stimulate informed, lively discussion about future activities and relationships among civil, commercial, and military organizations in outer space.” (Rick W. Sturdevant, Quest, Vol. 28 (4), 2021)
ISBN: 9781349960637
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
443 pages
1st ed. 2021