Space Diplomacy and the ‘Overview Effect’

Abstract

Astronauts looking at Earth from orbital or lunar missions often say they cannot see borders and boundaries that mean so much to surface dwellers, an essential feature of the ‘Overview Effect’, a term the author coined to describe the identity shift that takes place for many space travellers. What does this portend for the future? Should we simply forget borders, since they are merely products of our minds? What about diplomacy, which is all about borders and boundaries insofar as it is about inter-national relations. Will the art of diplomacy change as nation-states send more residents to explore the rest of the solar ecosystem? This question seems more relevant than ever, while war rages, largely over borders and boundaries, in the heart of Europe. We consider how the ‘Overview Effect’ influences communication, persuasion, and bargaining among state and non-state actors active in determining the shape of our future spacefaring civilisation.