This Is How Space for Humanity Is Empowering Ordinary People
Space for Humanity (S4H) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2017 to democratize the space industry and support innovations and programs that can provide solutions to global problems.
S4H states its vision as “a world where we embrace a culture of interconnectedness as we venture into the stars.” The organization’s primary mission is to “expand access to space, train our leaders of tomorrow, and cultivate a movement towards a more harmonious world."
To meet these goals and fulfill this mission, S4H has launched the most democratic space program in existence. It partnered with other leading organizations and programs using space to make vital breakthroughs in technology, research, and societal progress.
Space for Humanity’s Citizen Astronaut Program
In its efforts to democratize space, S4H has created the first-ever Citizen Astronaut Mission. It will send the successful candidates on an all-expenses-paid journey into space. In addition, it will train Space for Humanity Ambassadors to lead social impact programs in their communities based on their experiences in space.
After opening applications from July to November 2019, S4H will be conducting interviews until April 2020. After that, the citizen astronauts will be selected and begin their training in September 2020. At present, the aim is for the completion of the training course to coincide with a flight experience in 2021. In a truly global response, the Citizen Astronaut Program received over 3,700 applications from more than 100 countries.
The purpose of the Citizen Astronaut Program is to offer citizens the chance to experience first-hand the Overview Effect—the cognitive shift so far only experienced by astronauts and a handful of space tourists when viewing the Earth from space. This radical change in perspective stems from the realization that the Earth is small and fragile and all living things are interconnected. From space, national borders vanish and divisive aspects of society seem less important compared to the need to create a global society that will protect and preserve the Earth.
Such is S4H’s belief in the power of the Overview Effect and its ability to lead to positive action on Earth, the organization has partnered with the Overview Institute, whose primary goal is to relay the Effect to people on Earth.
Social Issues at the Heart of the Citizen Astronaut Program
The citizens chosen by Space for Humanity to venture into space will be taking on a great social responsibility. After returning from the suborbital flight, the citizen astronauts will become Space for Humanity Ambassadors. As part of their responsibilities, they will have one year to create and launch a social impact venture.
These ventures will be directly in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). This is a blueprint created by the UN outlining urgent global challenges that the world must tackle to achieve peace and prosperity for all people and the planet.
The 17 UN-SDGs, in order of highest priority according to S4H’s Citizen Astronaut Program applications are: Quality Education; Climate Action; Affordable and Clean Energy; Good Health and Wellbeing; Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; Zero Hunger; Clean Water and Sanitation; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; No Poverty; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Gender Equality; Responsible Consumption and Production; Partnerships for the Goals; Life on Land; Decent Work and Economic Growth; and Life Below Water.
To assist the Space for Humanity Ambassadors in reaching their goals, S4H will provide leadership and communication training. Further, it will work alongside the Ambassadors to create the most impactful venture possible. Additionally, S4H is developing a technological platform that will implement data-driven venture tracking to validate and monitor the impact of the Ambassadors’ campaigns.
The aim is therefore to harness the Overview Effect gained by the citizen astronauts, implement the Effect into their social impact ventures, and cause a ripple effect in their communities to create sustainable and lasting change on Earth.
Support Space for Humanity
Space for Humanity founder Dylan Taylor confidently stated that S4H’s mission is to “send 10,000 diverse humans to space within the next ten years and so doing change human perception, democratize space, and improve the state of the World.”
Therefore, while applications for the inaugural Citizen Astronaut Program are now closed, there will be plenty of future opportunities to apply for the program, venture into space, and make a vital contribution to your community as a Space for Humanity Ambassador.
However, there are many ways to contribute to S4H and support the Citizen Astronaut Program through the “Into the Stars" campaign. In addition to making monetary donations, hosting fundraisers, and providing brand sponsorship, individuals and companies can lend their support on social media to help raise awareness. Indeed, Social Media Influencers are encouraged to use their platforms to spread the message of S4H’s mission.
