There are four key aspects to changing public opinion of space exploration. These are as follows:

• Clearly explain the benefits of space exploration to the general public.
   
• Regularly provide the public with information on new missions, publicizing successful missions to the same extent as unsuccessful missions.
   
• Educate the public on the risks and technical difficulties of space exploration, so that failures do not cause massive setbacks in exploration programs, but are accepted.
   
• Make space open to all, and close the gap between the remote, elite image of astronauts, NASA "rocket scientists," and the general public.

The proposed outreach program aims to satisfy the above suggestions by focusing on the following: increasing public awareness, educational programs, group activities, and creating opportunities to fly in space. We also present specific examples on these topics.

Increasing Awareness

The program for increasing awareness of benefits, news, and risks of space involves promotion and merchandise. Space promotion can be achieved through a variety of mechanisms, for example: TV, radio, Internet, and newspapers. The media provides a means of contacting all age groups from children to elderly people. Examples of space promotion include TV documentaries using high profile celebrities, astronaut appearances on popular TV shows and commercials, televised tours of the International Space Station by famous personnel, five minute documentaries on current space events in movie theaters before the movie, and telephone on-hold space updates rather than music. Merchandise in the form of T-shirts, key rings, etc. is currently a popular market in the space industry; however, further suggestions include having personal items flown in space, individual portraits painted on the shuttle and trendy space clothes from designers such as Calvin Klein (refer to section 4.8.2 for further examples). The awareness initiatives should emphasize the benefits of space, including for example, medical, scientific and political benefits. The primary aim of this program is to integrate space information into everyday activities, utilizing both the entertainment and the consumer goods industry.

Educational Programs

The educational awareness program is targeted at all ages, including schools, universities and the general public, both technical and non-technical. In addition to increasing awareness, the program aims to convey the benefits, news, and risks of space exploration. Suggested programs include interaction of astronauts with educational institutions and community groups, through direct visits or teleconferencing. Educational programs in schools provide an excellent opportunity to teach different subjects through space applications. However, such courses should be imposed through governments to ensure that it is not only a few privileged schools that are able to pursue such programs, but everyone. Competitions provide an excellent mechanism for learning about space; examples could include competitions for university students to fly experiments on the space station. Such competitions would also promote international cooperation as students from different countries could work together and form an international, intercultural and interdisciplinary team. Space Olympics as described in Chapter 4 would be one innovative concept that could be developed.

Group Activities

This program consists of a series of activities in which groups of varying sizes can participate, ranging from families, to university groups, to whole communities. Suggestions include: "adopt a star or asteroid" programs, space camp as team building events for large corporations and meteorite hunting holidays in Antarctica. "Adopt a star or asteroid" program is based on the principle of "adopt a highway" in The United States, where a community adopts a highway and is responsible for maintenance. Likewise a community could adopt a star or asteroid, the object could then be named after the community and responsibilities could include researching the object and publicizing it to others. Other group activities are described in section 4.8.

Opportunities to Fly in Space

Opportunities for personal involvement in the space program are key to gaining public support. At present, opportunities to fly in space are limited to just a few highly qualified specialists. It is therefore understandable why the general public feels indifferent towards space. An open lottery enabling, for example, 500 people from the general public to train to be astronauts would generate both funding for the space program and increased support. A few of the trained astronauts could have the opportunity to fly, while others return home after the training period and promote space in their local communities. Providing such opportunities makes space exploration a real possibility for many people and would generate enthusiasm for space throughout the world.

Space tourism provides opportunities for members of the general public to participate in space exploration. Launch vehicles are currently far too expensive to enable individuals to fly in space. Current initiatives such as the X-prize aim to stimulate the creation of a new generation of launch vehicles designed to carry passengers into space. The current lack of licensed, low-cost, reliable vehicles for space transportation is the key "show stopper" to space tourism. The X-prize has been modeled after the early aviation prizes. Hundreds of aviation prizes stimulated the creation of different aircraft designs between 1905 and 1935. The X-prize is taking the same approach, by offering a prize to the first team to privately fund and fly a spacecraft that takes three passengers to 100 kilometer altitude, and makes a second flight within two weeks. Currently, over 16 teams have registered for the competition, which has a cash prize of 10 million dollars.

National Level

In recent years many nations have been reducing their support for space ventures out of low Earth orbit. Proponents of space must convince nations that investing in human exploration of outer space is a worthwhile endeavor. To understand the current situation of support for space programs and to alter the national and governmental attitude towards investment in these programs, we must look at factors that motivate nations and people or groups that influence nations to act. Finally we must present some new ideas which may convince nations of the benefits of participating in human space exploration.

Motivation

Many factors motivate nations and their governments to invest time and money into space. Reasons for space exploration are outlined in section 1.1. The most important factors are national security, economic interests, scientific and technological development, political growth, national prestige, and charitable motivations.

Until now, the primary motivation of governments for investing in space is national security. Space and defense are integrated; proficiency in space endeavors, including launch vehicle and satellite capabilities, reflects the military proficiency of governments. Therefore, investment in space is a high priority for nations as far as it supports national security capabilities. However, such investment is usually sporadic and not sustained; it increases in times of national conflict and decreases in times of peace and prosperity. For example, the Apollo missions were a direct result of the Cold War between the US and the USSR. Once tensions eased, the program was reduced in scope.

Economic interest is another motivation for investment in space projects. The economy can be stimulated by job growth, increased commercial technology development, and competition between space industries.

Scientific and technological development, along with national economic growth, can be important reasons for a nation to invest resources into projects emphasizing the exploration and exploitation of space. For example, several nations are now developing satellite expertise in order to make their telecommunications technology more accessible to their citizens.

Establishing an independent space program not only ensures a nation's autonomy in the space field, but also increases national prestige and pride internally and internationally. Nations may be motivated by the political growth and expansion of influence that may be a result of demonstrated proficiency in the space arena.

Finally, charitable motivations can inspire governments to invest in various types of projects, although this area may be a low priority for many nations. Governments do spend time and resources in order to promote the well being of their citizens and other noble causes. Therefore, they may invest in space programs which emphasize areas such as human survival.

Influencing Nations

National security and other such issues inherently motivate the actions of nations; however, several individuals and groups have an influence on the national decision-making process. We may be able to increase governmental interest in our strategy if the motivational factors are employed by these influential individuals and groups. The main groups that have influence over governments are constituents, corporations, and other nations.

Constituents have a powerful effect on governments, especially when the governments are representational in nature. Interest groups and their associated lobbyists tend to have the most impact due to their visibility and power in the area of public opinion. Representatives tend to listen to interest groups because they realize that these groups may have an influence over their political future.

In addition, representatives from industry, including primarily large corporations such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing in the United States, may have an influence on the decision-making process of governments. The strong role these corporations play in governmental economics allow them to influence decisions regarding space strategy.

Finally, a key factor influencing the decisions made by a government may be the actions and politics of other countries. The plans of allies and non-allies in the area of space technology can have a direct impact on the plans of a nation.

Influencing Methods

There seem to be many reasons for nations to invest in space. In addition, there are several groups that may have a strong influence on governmental decision-making. How can we influence nations to take action and invest resources into our strategy? To convince nations that a human exploration mission is worthwhile, we must take advantage of both inherent national motivations and the influence of powerful interest groups.

The national motivations of economics, security, and concern for citizens can be used to influence national interest in space. For example, if corporations invest in particular space endeavors, this may guide national economic focus into these areas of space development. A current example of the influence of private industry on government and vice versa is in the area of low-cost launch vehicles. In the United States, new low-cost launch vehicle companies are in direct competition with the NASA Space Shuttle and other NASA sponsored projects such as the X-33. The interest of private companies in low-cost launch vehicles has, in part, driven governmental interest in the same field. Another example is the importance that has recently been placed on threats to human survival from space, such as the threat of asteroids. Governmental interest in preserving its national security and the health and well being of its citizens has increased research into this field of space science. Similar efforts could be made in other areas if decision-makers were made aware of the importance of such issues.

Influence of individuals and interest groups is a very important factor in achieving support for space exploration at the national level. The awareness and interest in space of individual citizens from countries must be increased. If individual interest in space exploration is increased, this will bolster government interest, especially in representative governments. In addition, such increased awareness may help to create powerful space lobby groups that would have a stronger influence on the decisions of those in power.

In order to directly influence decision-makers individually, we can promote education for national representatives. For example, we can promote the invitation of governmental representatives to scientific, economic, and political conferences, seminars, and exhibitions relating to space. We can also ensure that representatives are educated about the potential economic benefits to their country due to technology development related to space activities. We should emphasize the importance of movement towards international cooperation. Only through international cooperation can a sustained strategy of human space exploration be achieved. National motivation for exploration of space may be too inconsistent, based on local issues of security and economics; whereas, international motivation for space projects may be based on the longer-lasting reasons of cooperation and peace between peoples.

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