Communicating Space Exploration : Challenges, State of the Art and Future Trends

This book offers an enlightening analysis of the ways in which the communication of space explorations has evolved in response to political and social developments and the availability of new media and communication tools. Important challenges to effective communication are discussed, including the diversity of audiences, the risks associated with space missions, and continuing skepticism about the benefits of space research despite the many associated day-to-day applications. In addition, future trends in communication are examined with reference to likely trends in space exploration over the coming century. Besides space communication for the public, the need for targeted messaging to each group of stakeholders – decision makers, media, opinion leaders, the scientific community, and industry – is analyzed in detail. A series of case studies of particular space missions, both successful and unsuccessful, is presented to illustrate key issues. The book has significant implications for the communication of science in general and will be of interest to a wide audience, including space scientists, science communication professionals, people fascinated by exploration and discovery, stakeholders, and educators.

Having graduated from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, Fulvio Drigani spent a good part of his career at the European Space Agency (ESA), first in the Science Programme Directorate, for which he became Head of Science Communication, then at the corporate level, as Head of ESA’s Online Communication, Social Media, Multimedia Distribution, Publications, and Corporate Branding Office. Later, he also managed the Italian Country Desk, taking care of the social media campaigns of astronauts Paolo Nespoli, Luca Parmitano, and Samantha Cristoforetti. During his career, he launched the first science communication website and the first ESA web portal, www.esa.int, and introduced social media as a communication tool of the Agency. He also introduced the present ESA corporate visual identity.