Astrosociological «orbit»: problems of sociological research dedicated to space construction

Abstract

The article reveals aspects of a new research direction – astrosociology, and examines problems that can be solved within the framework of this discipline. One of the areas of empirical astrosociology can be considered public opinion polls. The paper presents the problems of sociological research that reveals the public's attitude towards space exploration (based on surveys by VTsIOM and FOM).

The subject is research areas of astrosociology. The research materials were based on survey data from VTsIOM and FOM. Also in March 2024, a questionnaire survey was conducted to identify the opinions of students of Kemerovo State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Russia on space exploration issues: a picture was drawn up of the level of awareness and degree of interest of students in space topics.

We can conclude that astrosociology should be considered a branch sociological discipline based on sociological methodology. They are designed to study astrosocial phenomena - social, cultural and behavioral patterns associated with outer space.

It is a multidisciplinary field, including such disciplines as psychology, anthropology, economics, social psychology, political science, space history, space law, etc.

The issues of sociological research that reveal the public’s attitude towards space exploration include: measuring the level of awareness and interest in space topics, studying the social base of supporters of space exploration, studying support for space programs, assessing the role of the state and business in space exploration, assessing the place and prospects of Russia in space exploration and other topics.

A questionnaire survey conducted at Kemerovo State Medical University showed that students’ awareness of cosmonauts and people who contributed to space exploration is quite high, but deeper questions about space, as well as questions regarding recent events in this area, cause difficulties for respondents. At the same time, the majority of students surveyed are interested in studying this topic, especially space medicine.