Inaugural Duke Space Symposium Explores the Future of Space Settlements

Just in time for National Space Day, Duke recently hosted its inaugural Duke Space Symposium at the Sanford School of Public Policy. Co-sponsored by the Duke Center for Risk in Science & Society, the Duke Rethinking Diplomacy Program (including its Space Diplomacy Lab), Duke Bass Connections, Duke Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), Duke Faculty Advancement Seed Grant Program, and Duke Cosmology, the event brought together a diverse group of experts, faculty, and students for an interdisciplinary dialogue.

Image

Framed by the central theme, "How is our future in space being shaped by the legacies of our past, the challenges of our present, and the opportunities and risks of our future?", the symposium delved into the complex questions surrounding humanity's expansion beyond Earth, focusing specifically on the future of space settlements.

The symposium commenced on Thursday afternoon with opening remarks from organizing faculty Phil Stern (History), Jonathan Wiener (Law and Public Policy), Giovanni Zanalda (SSRI, Economics, and Public Policy) and graduate students Anna Mallard and Chelsea Nielsen.

The first panel session, "Health and Medicine," explored critical issues pertinent to near-term, small-scale research settlements in space. Following a coffee break featuring a showcase of student projects focused on space (students from various disciplines ranging from Physics and Engineering to Social Sciences, CS, and Humanities), the second panel addressed "Environmental Protection and Commercialization," considering challenges related to mid-scale settlements like potential mining camps.

Notably, both panels were introduced by presentations from the Duke Bass Connections project students team, "Future of Space Settlements: Lessons From History," providing valuable historical context.

Thursday culminated with the keynote address by Dr. Erika Nesvold, Co-Founder of the JustSpace Alliance. Her talk, titled "History Rhymes: Ethical and Human Rights Challenges in Space Settlements," offered critical perspectives on the societal implications of off-world habitation.

Image

Friday morning began with opening comments and special welcome remarks from Duke Provost Dr. Alec Gallimore. Sharing his personal connection to the field, Provost Gallimore recounted how seeing the film 2001: A Space Odyssey as a child "really changed my life... and it compelled me... to be in the spaceship building and deploying business."

He highlighted Duke's interdisciplinary approach as essential for tackling the complex challenges of space and expressed his belief that such endeavors can yield technologies beneficial on Earth and potentially "inspire and perhaps unite a world that desperately needs it."

Image

The day's first panel, also preceded by insights from the Bass Connections team, tackled "Long-Term Development and Governance," focusing on regulatory and structural issues relevant to large-scale communities and interplanetary governance.

The subsequent panel, "Looking Ahead," shifted focus towards future challenges, particularly in science and space communication.  These panels moderated by students featured Duke alumni and faculty from Biology and Pratt School of Engineering as well as invited experts.   

After lunch, the symposium featured a dynamic virtual session with brief lightning talks from remote speakers sharing their work. The event concluded with a forward-looking open forum, "The Future of Space at Duke," led by key Duke faculty and students’ groups involved in space-related research and initiatives. This final session fostered discussion on the possibilities for advancing space studies and activities both within Duke University and the broader Research Triangle area.

The inaugural Duke Space Symposium successfully fostered a rich, multi-faceted conversation, drawing on expertise from law, policy, history, economics, physics, engineering, biology, medicine, ethics, and more. It served as a crucial platform for examining the intricate tapestry of challenges and opportunities presented by the prospect of future space exploration as well as the need for interdisciplinary collaborations to better understand current and future trends in space, setting the stage for continued engagement with these vital questions at Duke and beyond.