WHAT IS CELESTIAL COMMONS?
​A Celestial Object is anything above the Earth's atmosphere.
A Commons refers to any resource shared and accessible to all members of a society.
A Celestial Commons is rooted in the idea that, like the air we breathe, the water we drink, the oceans we cross and the environment we all enjoy, space and all it contains should be our shared inheritance and shared responsibility.
WHAT IS OUR MISSION?
As an organisation, Celestial Commons is dedicated to promoting the public (common) interest in space. In short, we want to make space a topic of broad public consideration and bring it into the public consciousness as an important part of the larger ecosystem we inhabit.
We're also committed to advancing equitable governance. That's why our approach centres on using participatory methodologies and direct citizen engagement to facilitate policy co-creation and advocacy.
We want to create a meaningful connection between citizens and space and demonstrate how it impacts all of our lives while providing real opportunities to affect change in the way it is explored and developed.
How we go matters just as much as going and we want to seize the moment as an unprecedented opportunity for positive global change.
As humanity expands beyond Earth, we want to ensure that shared values and collective benefits are represented, so that the journey to space, as well as the vast scientific, cultural and material wealth it holds, is authentically open to and shared by all.
​​Our Flagship Project – The Citizens' Space Policy Initiative
We invite citizens around the world to share their hopes for the future and priorities for the present. These inputs are aggregated, synthesised and transformed into actionable policy recommendations. The resulting platform forms the basis of our advocacy, both within the space sector and in broader political arenas.
What do
we do?
​Our Broader Work – Comms, Advocacy and Governance
In addition to the Citizens' Space Policy Initiative, Celestial Commons engages in a range of activities to democratize space and promote the public good:
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Strategic communications: We provide non-profits, individuals, and grassroots projects engaged in civil space activities with pro-bono assistance on communications strategies and connections that amplify their impact and reach. If you have a project that deserves attention - get in touch!
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Amplifying marginalized voices: We connect with and advocate for communities often excluded from space discourse, ensuring their perspectives are integrated into policy and governance.
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Collective governance and ownership: We design peaceful, inclusive and democratic approaches to space development – championing universal access, interoperability and long-term benefits for all of humanity.
Tying it Together – Our Philosophy and Approach
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We often talk about the problems that face the future, but we rarely ask people what they actually want the future to look like. Instead, contemporary politics tends more towards conflict over the 'how'. The result is a public that becomes increasingly disengaged in the face of apparent polarisation and disfunction, which in turn becomes something of a self fulfilling prophecy.
But the 'what' is important.
Not only is there often more solidarity around goals than methods, but articulating a clear vision for the future helps contextualise all the decisions we have to make in the present. It has the potential to bring everyone along for the ride instead of alienating them.
This is the philosophy that underpins our organisation. By embracing collective creativity and working together to shape a shared vision through collaborative, participatory processes, we can not only build consensus-driven goals but also foster better governance in how we achieve them."
We also take a unique approach to making an impact. Approaches to major change tend towards the top down - using power and position to impact and influence citizens and society. We take a bottom up approach that uses the collective power of citizens to influence power and position.
Most approaches are also forward-reasoning and incremental, with eyes on the road, dealing with problems directly ahead as they appear. We take a goal-oriented approach that starts with the end in mind and asks what it would require, step by step until we arrive at the present.
By combining these approaches and the above philosophy, we create a citizen driven, goal oriented approach that complements existing initiatives with a critical missing piece that can grow solidarity between people and alignment between governments, while providing demonstrable evidence that democracy not only works, but can work better than ever.
