Long-Range Spaceflight

The hypothetical, probably-not-happening-anytime-soon endeavor of sending humans to other stars, requiring generation ships, suspended animation, or a fundamental rewrite of physics. Long-range spaceflight means committing to a journey that will outlast you, your children, and probably your grandchildren, all so your distant descendants can step onto a world you'll never see. It's the ultimate act of faith in the future, or the ultimate way to avoid dealing with the present, depending on how you look at it. Also, someone has to figure out how to have babies in zero G, which is a research grant someone definitely applied for.

*Example: "He volunteered for a long-range spaceflight mission to a nearby star—200 years, generation ship, no return. When asked why, he said Earth was fine but he'd always wanted to see what was out there, even if 'seeing' meant his great-great-grandchildren would be the ones doing the seeing. His current family was less enthusiastic about being space colonists by descent."*

by Abzugal February 14, 2026

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Short-Range Spaceflight

The art of leaving the planet just long enough to wave goodbye, then coming right back down—suborbital hops, tourist flights to the edge of space, and any mission where you can still see your house from the window. Short-range spaceflight is for people who want to be astronauts but also want to be home for dinner. It's the space equivalent of dipping your toe in the cosmic ocean before deciding the water's too cold and returning to the beach of Earth's atmosphere, slightly shaken but ready for the souvenir photo.

*Example: "He bought a ticket for short-range spaceflight on a billionaire's rocket—11 minutes of weightlessness, a view of the curve of Earth, and then back home in time for lunch. When asked if he felt like an astronaut, he said he felt like a very privileged tourist who had briefly escaped the gravity of his problems, which immediately resumed upon landing."*

by Abzugal February 14, 2026

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Medium-Range Spaceflight

The serious business of leaving Earth orbit and going somewhere—the moon, Lagrange points, maybe Mars if we ever get our act together. Medium-range spaceflight requires weeks or months, real planning, and the willingness to be very far from help if something goes wrong. It's for people who are committed to space, not just sampling it, and who have accepted that they will miss several seasons of their favorite shows, possibly forever, depending on how the landing goes.

Example: "She trained for years for medium-range spaceflight—a six-month mission to a lunar station. She'd miss birthdays, holidays, and the entire run of whatever Netflix series dropped while she was gone. But she'd see Earth rise over the lunar horizon, which seemed like a fair trade, assuming the rocket didn't explode. Her mother was not convinced."

by Abzugal February 14, 2026

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Critical Theory of Space Science

The application of Critical Theory to space science—examining how space exploration and research are shaped by power, politics, and economics. Critical Theory of Space Science asks: Who funds space science? For what purposes? How do military and corporate interests shape space agendas? Whose dreams of space are realized, whose are excluded? How might space science serve humanity rather than nationalism or profit? Drawing on critical geography and science studies, it insists that space is never just "out there"—it's an extension of Earthly politics, power, and inequality.

"Space exploration is for all humanity, they say. Critical Theory of Space Science asks: funded by whom? Controlled by whom? Billionaires racing to space while people starve—that's not 'all humanity.' Space science serves power, just like everything else. Critical theory insists on asking: who benefits from space, and who's left behind on Earth?"

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 4, 2026

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