Embedding Political Education in Science Communication

The Palestine Space Institute (PSI) is a think tank established to challenge the relationship between the space industry and militarism, equip the community with tools to understand science in society, and develop solutions towards a more just future. We propose an urgent reframing of space science communication as a site for political education, drawing from historical practice by community-based, cross-disciplinary initiatives centered on climate justice, indigenous practices, and human rights research. We reflect on PSI’s implementation of this approach since 2023 and the increasing need for such interventions due to current and emerging geopolitical conditions that affect the practice of science and society more broadly. These activities include the development of community tools; global community engagement activities; and knowledge co-production centered on cross-disciplinary methods.

PSI’s framework equips broad audiences with a holistic understanding of the geopolitical role of planetary science, applying characteristics of traditional science communication to improve political literacy for the public and focusing on participatory solution-making. We argue that this collective intellectual resistance is a crucial responsibility of scientists today.