People ignorant and worried when it comes to space, finds historic Inmarsat report
Press release from: INMARSAT
Posted: Wednesday June 29th 2022
The world is largely unaware of key activities in space, with Gen Z twice as likely to associate space with aliens, Star Wars and billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos as older generations, according to the largest representative survey of global consumer attitudes towards space1, released by Inmarsat, the world leader in global mobile satellite communications.
The report, What is the value of space on Earthfound that people aged 65 and older, who were teenagers when humans first walked on the moon, are more optimistic and hopeful than Gen Z. They are more likely to associate l research and exploration, rockets and satellites – with their understanding of space more grounded in science than science fiction.
Only a quarter of the public (23%) said they thought space exploration was ‘important’. Nearly half (46%) think of satellites when they think of space, while 37% think of expeditions to the Moon and Mars, 21% think of aliens and almost 1 in 10 think of Star Wars ( 9%). Less than 1 in 10 people in the world think about communications and connectivity.
This focus on Hollywood rather than Halley’s Comet fuels how respondents feel about space. Only a third of people feel ‘excited’ about space (34%), while 18% feel nervous – only 38% would like to know more about ‘up there’. A quarter (24%) of people feel “overwhelmed” by space, which isn’t really surprising with films like Don’t Look Up recently capturing the public consciousness.
Rajeev Suri, CEO of Inmarsat, said: “This report should be a wake-up call for our industry. Space seems to be underestimated and misunderstood in the real world. In many ways, the knowledge we have as a society is inaccurate and incomplete.
“Space can enable a better way of life for everyone on Earth, but public support will make or break this vital contribution to a better future. Space needs a new narrative, and it’s time for us to define its value to the world. Global communities are united by their fear of uncontrolled satellite debris, asteroid falls and environmental damage. Having come this far, we cannot afford to destroy the gift of space by a mismanagement, fear, ignorance or inaction Sustainability on Earth cannot exist without sustainability in space Responsible space exploration and stricter regulation are essential.
People’s ambitions for space are centered on solving some of our main challenges on Earth – finding new sources of energy, essential resources and helping solve climate change. However, this does not yet thwart our fears, as 97% of the world’s population believe that space is a threat.
This concern is reflected in the fact that one in nine people are “terrified” by what could happen in space – with space debris and collisions in orbit (47%), pollution (39%) and damage to the Earth’s atmosphere (35%). percent) considered to be the main threats. Older people are more concerned about space debris, while younger generations fear environmental impact the most. It is clear that the positive impact of the space is not fully appreciated by the public.
New entrants to the space industry are more optimistic about what space offers. Nearly half of respondents in China believe space can provide a new source of critical resources compared to a third globally, while 6 in 10 South Koreans believe space can be the key to new sources of resources. energy, while half of respondents in the UAE see space as a way to help solve climate change.
Nearly half (44%) of Japanese residents are concerned about space debris and collisions in space; 29% fear that space activity will damage the Earth’s atmosphere and 34% fear that we will end up polluting the rhythm. Nearly a third (27%) of Japanese want to work in the space industry (compared to just 14% globally). However, only 13% of Japanese respondents (compared to 32% globally) are optimistic about the possibilities of space; 36% (compared to 38% globally) would like to know more about space and 30% (compared to 34% globally) feel excited about what could happen in space.
ABOUT INMARSAT
Inmarsat provides state-of-the-art, innovative, advanced and exceptionally reliable global mobile communications – in the air, at sea and on land – that enable a new generation of commercial, enterprise, government and mission-critical services, including the digitalization of maritime transport and aviation sectors.
1 The largest independent global survey of consumer attitudes towards space included 20,000 respondents (aged 18-65+) in the UK (3,000), US (2 000), Brazil (2,000), Canada (2,000), Germany (2,000), Australia (2,000), China (2,000), India (2,000), South Korea (1,000), Japan (1,000) and United Arab Emirates (1,000). The study was conducted by Yonder Consulting in April 2022 on behalf of Inmarsat.
contacts
Media contacts:
Jonathan Sinnat / Matthew Knowles
Business communication
Tel: +44 (0)788 960 5272 / +44 (0) 7725 476 507
press@inmarsat.com
// end //
No more press releases and status reports or featured stories.
Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.