Reclaiming space : progressive and multicultural visions of space exploration Space to use a worn metaphor is in the mind of the beholder. When we contemplate the seemingly limitless universe we tend to project onto space our own hopes and dreams (as well as our fears and anxieties). But like responses to Rorschach inkblots there are many different hopes dreams fears and anxieties that one can project onto the nights sky. To those who approach it with a thirst for profits space appears as a resource rich goldmine beckoning to anyone with enough wealth and privilege to take advantage of untapped markets. To those who approach it with a yearning for human expansion space appears as a frontier that is humanitys birthright to conquer its new manifest destiny. To those who approach it with a passion for knowledge and understanding space appears as a tantalizing and pristine laboratory for scientific exploration. In these ways our visions for humanitys future in space what planets and moons we hope to visit what we hope to accomplish when we get there are more products of our perspectives about space (and our underlying worldviews and value systems) than anything else