Description
The US and China both seek to utilise lunar exploration as a method to boost state power and compete with their rival. An underexplored question is why highly symbolic practices, such as planting the national flag in the lunar soil, produce powerful shared emotions and anoint new systems of rules or morality. While the discourse of a “new commercial space age” attempts to solidify an economic justification for the huge expense of even modest Moon landings, the lack of valuable resources makes financial gain an unlikely explanation. A military justification also remains elusive, despite the efforts of a minority of advocates. This paper turns to the concept of Randall Collins’ ritual interaction chains to provide a sociological exploration of the actions and reactions of the so-called “New Moon Race”. While identities are clearly at stake in space competition, by analysing the workings of specific practices, such as sending robotic probes versus human crews, this paper identifies how abstract ideas of belonging and prestige are acted out into something more tangible.
