ABSTRACT
Outer space remains the vast unknown, the last frontier that beckons gravity weary travellers. In the actual confrontation, the initial shock is slightly softened, and the awe- inspiring void is instead described as “magnificent desolation”. During these past 50 years, the concept of outer space has merged with the image of the astronaut, who has been interpreted and staged for different political agendas and social programmes throughout the Cold War, nuclear threats, terrorism, and currently the ecological crisis. Earth is turned into an image or picture which may represent an “icon, index, and symbol of unity and planetary vitality and fragility”, while, viewed more critically, also signifies “colonialism, imperialism, economic inequality”. The dystopian version refers to recent estimations that our time on Earth is limited. In the adventure of going beyond terrestrial boundaries, a unique agent is required.
