An editorial project of the American Space Law Society

A typology of space politics.

Most arguments about space collapse into a single axis that misses what's actually in dispute. SpaceX versus NASA, settlers versus scientists, hawks versus doves. The disagreement has more structure than that.

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The eight camps

Eight positions on the four-axis grid.

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Frontier Settlerism

Internationalist

Frontier-mode human settlement of planetary surfaces.

Orbital Libertarianism

Internationalist

Build-your-own-habitat. Free-space frontier.

Space Federalism

Internationalist

Multilateral planetary settlement. Treaty-bound, government-led.

Orbital Internationalism

Internationalist

Internationally-governed orbital habitats. Earth-preserving.

Space Liberalism

Internationalist

Multilateral robotic exploration. Knowledge-first.

Robotic Internationalism

Internationalist

Robotic free-space infrastructure under international governance.

Space Nationalism

Internationalist

State-led robotic claim-staking on planetary surfaces.

Orbital Mercantilism

Internationalist

Autonomous orbital economy. Mining, strategic constellations, commercial operations.

Recently mapped

Public figures placed on the framework.

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Jeff Bezos (current)

Orbital Internationalism

Earth-Preservationist

Frontier Settlerism

Gerard K. O'Neill

Orbital Internationalism

Civic-Republican

Space Liberalism

Romantic-Scientific