Public Engagement With Planetary Science: Experiences With Astrobiology and Planetary Defense

Abstract

Abstract What are the goal, the aim, the objective, and the purpose of public engagement with planetary science? What, exactly, is “public engagement”? I am a social scientist with a PhD in mass communication. I cast a critical eye on efforts to promote public engagement with space science, assessing them in their broader cultural context. Since the 1990s, I have worked with a number of NASA science programs on communication strategy and planning, public education, and public engagement. I am currently working with NASA's astrobiology program and Planetary Defense Coordination Office. My primary justification for the planetary science communication and engagement efforts I have worked on is the need to fulfill NASA's statutory responsibility to “provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof” and ensure that decision-makers and citizens have access to clear, concise, correct, and timely information about these programs.