Why Space Matters, Episode 2 with Prof. Walter Peeters.

***Useful links: IAC 2026 Materials: [Link will be available by July 2026] The Roadmap report: [Link will be available by July 2026] Instagram:   / spaceuniversity   LinkedIn:   / international-space-university  \ Facebook:   / internationalspaceuniversity   Who are we? We are a group of 20 Master's students from across disciplines, united by one big question: how do we make the world truly understand why exploring deep space matters? We believe that venturing into deep space is one of the most profound things humanity will ever do, and the world deserves to be part of that conversation. We're building a “Global Communication Roadmap” to make sure space exploration is communicated in a way that is honest, inclusive, and meaningful to everyone on Earth, not just a handful of powerful nations and institutions. In this episode, we meet a special guest, Prof. Pascale Ehrenfreund. She is an Austrian astrophysicist who served as President of the International Space University (ISU) and leads the International Astronautical Federation, making her one of the most powerful voices shaping humanity's future in space. Considered one of the world's leading astrobiologists, she has spent over three decades working on ESA and NASA astronomy and planetary missions. We hope you'll enjoy watching :). Write to us in the comments section with your questions or just to tell us what you think! **We will present our work during the 77th International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye. See you there! Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction of our project 05:57 – Which communication strategies have worked well for you in the past? 11:05 – Why is the public so disconnected from space activities and how can we improve that connection? 16:51 – How can we include underrepresented voices when communicating about deep space exploration? 28:50 – How is the rise of private companies affecting the relationship between the space sector and the public? 34:25 – How does the New Space economy benefit individuals? How does it benefit the global economy? 38:00 – How do we communicate with the public better about these economic concepts? 41:27 – What strategies should private companies use when communicating about their vulnerabilities as well as their acomplishments? 46:35 - Questions from audience 53:04 - Why space matters In your opinion, why does space matter—and who needs to hear that message most? --------------------- ***Special Thanks: Building this podcast and report was a journey we didn’t take alone. A huge shoutout to the Roadmap members, this wouldn't exist without our collective hard work. We would like to acknowledge the ISU faculty (Dr. Virginia Wotring and Dr. Aurélie Trur) for helping us shape the report, to the ISU IT team for the seamless studio experience, and to the external industry experts who sharpened our strategy. Additionally, we would like to thank the John Templeton Foundation for supporting our research. Last but not least, we are deeply honored to have been joined by Walter Peeters. Thank you for bringing this report to life with your unique perspectives and for making this journey so memorable.