Makerspaces Hacking the Space Industry

Nancy C. Wolfson Wednesday, July 29, 2020: 1100. "Space belongs to all," we often hear. However, most people do not relate their lives to space. The Outer Space Treaty was signed on 27 January 1967. Article I of the Space Treaty says "The exploratio...

Nancy C. Wolfson

Wednesday, July 29, 2020: 1100. "Space belongs to all," we often hear. However, most people do not relate their lives to space. The Outer Space Treaty was signed on 27 January 1967. Article I of the Space Treaty says "The exploration and use of outer space including the Moon and other Celestial Bodies, shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development, and shall be the province of all mankind."

Most people know space through news, stories, and entertainment. Some might know that space technology is making their lives easier, but they would not consider themselves able to contribute in any way. At the same time, the space community has remained mostly among itself. This presentation will argue that it is the responsibility of the space specialists to create new partnerships and collaborative projects that connect space and non-space actors and explore new nontraditional academic models and environments that can ignite creativity and foster cross-industry collaboration.

The global crisis due to COVID-19 has somehow forced us to rethink how we could take cross-industry communication and collaboration to the next level. Some tips and tricks will be shared to continue with cross-industry collaborative projects utilizing digital and online technology. Makerspaces' tech knowledge transfer model can enhance the space workforce development and lead to innovative research and inspire the next generation inside and outside the space community.