The effect that robots instead of spacemen landing on Mars can have on spacecraft development

Authors

  • John D. Cokley Swinburne University of Technology
  • Daniel Angus University of Queensland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v19i1.4871

Keywords:

human, spacecraft, international, NASA, social media, Google Scholar, databases, policy, public opinion, robots, space race

Abstract

The space race of the 1960s attracted a concentrated peak in space funding which has not since been repeated. Based on a novel methodology of new Internet–sourced, computer–driven visual text analytic techniques, this study suggests that the advances in engineering technologies supported by this funding — especially robotic, unmanned missions to space involving international cooperation such as the 2012 Curiosity landing on Mars — have resulted in decreased public interest, engagement, understanding of and ultimately support for space exploration and ultimately human–carrying spacecraft development. We suggest consequences for public interaction with, and political and economic support for future spacecraft development.

Author Biographies

John D. Cokley, Swinburne University of Technology

Dr Cokley (Associate Professor in Journalism) worked as a reporter and feature writer, subeditor, trainer and website developer at News Corporation in Brisbane, Australia, between 1985 and 2002, after working for the "Daily Sun" newspaper and the Australian Associated Press wire service (1984-1985). He continues to maintain a level of professional practice in the private sector and is a member of Editors Victoria and the Journalism Education Association (Australia). He began teaching journalism at universities after graduating with a bachelor's degree in business (communication/journalism) from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 1990 as well as continuing to write for engineering, retail and indigenous magazines, books and newspapers. He was the first Journalist-in-Residence at Griffith University (2002), lectured in journalism at James Cook University, Townsville (2003-2004) and at the University of Queensland (2005-2012). He joined Swinburne in 2012.

Daniel Angus, University of Queensland

I am a Lecturer with the University of Queensland in the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering and School of Journalism and Communication. My teaching and research is focused on information visualisation, text analytics and computational intelligence.

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Published

2014-01-03

How to Cite

Cokley, J. D., & Angus, D. (2014). The effect that robots instead of spacemen landing on Mars can have on spacecraft development. First Monday, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v19i1.4871