The Overview 09/30
SEPTEMBER -- From Vienna to New York: A Mission in Motion
It’s been a busy few weeks at Space for Humanity, with our mission taking shape in very different ways around the world. From conversations about peace and our shared humanity in Vienna, to preparing a new generation of science communicators, to celebrating the past and future of human spacefaring in New York, there’s a lot happening!
And you’ll want to read through to the end for an amazing opportunity to join us in New York City next month!
On September 14th, during New York Fashion Week, Space for Humanity Overview Ambassador Amanda Nguyen brought her advocacy to the runway through Rise’s "What Do Your Dreams Cost?" Fashion Show, using fashion as a powerful platform to confront the personal and economic costs of sexual violence while celebrating the strength and agency of survivors. Held on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, this year's event reflected Amanda’s own extraordinary journey from survivor and civil rights advocate to astronaut, while reinforcing a message central to her work: survivors are far more than what happened to them, and their dreams, ambitions, and futures remain entirely their own. Amanda continues to turn courage into action, embodying Space for Humanity’s mission to change the future by changing perspectives and inspiring others.
On September 21st, Space for Humanity joined leaders from the diplomatic, spaceflight, science, education, and faith communities at the Vienna International Centre for the Space for Peace Symposium, held in recognition of the United Nations International Day of Peace. Co-organized by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the International Organizations in Vienna, and co-sponsored by the Caritas in Veritate Foundation and Space for Humanity, the symposium explored how space exploration, science, and technology can advance peace, human security, sustainable development, and cooperation across borders.
Space for Humanity Executive Director Antonio Peronace participated alongside S4H Citizen Astronaut-2 Sara Sabry, as well as astronauts Marcos Pontes and Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu, and representatives from the Vatican Astronomical Observatory, The Karman Project, Université de Namur, and the international diplomatic community. Discussions ranged from the Overview Effect and humanity’s shared perspective from space to the role of satellite technology in climate action, disaster response, food security, education, communications, and transportation safety. Together, participants explored a principle at the heart of Space for Humanity’s mission: that space can do more than expand the boundaries of human exploration — it can help us recognize our common humanity, strengthen cooperation, and build a more peaceful and resilient world.
"If you change a person's heart, you can shift their mind, and then you can move mountains," Antonio told the gathered audience. "For us, that is the essence of why we do what we do. It's not actually the flight that we focus on, it's how that is a throughpoint to something greater — it's about who they can inspire when they return to Earth."
"Apart from all the practical benefits that space yields here on Earth, viewing our planet from space allows you to see things from a different, larger perspective," Sara shared. "I think this is the first step in having a conversation about peace. We are all the same and we all belong to the same planet. The UN Outer Space Treaty doesn't say that space belongs to no one — it says that space belongs to everyone."
Space for Humanity was founded to make the transformative perspective of the Overview Effect accessible to as many people as possible. For many who experience Earth from space, that perspective brings a profound sense of our shared humanity and a renewed commitment to peace on the one planet we all call home. Events like this are the very foundation of what this organization stands and strives for.
Our Take Off in Zero-G participants, who experienced weightlessness last month on an Air Zero-G flight out of Bordeaux, France, have begun the next phase of their journey, working directly with experienced social media and science communication mentors to learn how to turn their passion for science into compelling, accessible stories. Through a series of classes over the coming months, they’ll develop practical skills in storytelling, content creation, audience building, and communicating complex scientific ideas in ways that inform and inspire. Later this year, they’ll put those lessons into practice by launching their own science-focused social channels, bringing engaging science content to communities where access to this kind of information and representation has traditionally been limited, and creating a ripple effect that extends the impact of their Zero-G experience far beyond the flight itself.
Last but certainly not least, we wanted to let you know about an exciting opportunity. But if you’re interested, you’ll need to move fast!
Next month, the spirit of the Space Age returns! From October 23–25, MISSION:60s will take over the historic TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York City for a weekend celebrating the science, ingenuity, art, and imagination that sent humanity to the Moon in the 1960s and continues to inspire a new generation of exploration today. Set inside Eero Saarinen’s spectacular 1962 TWA Flight Center, MISSION:60s brings together Apollo astronauts, flight directors, Mission Control engineers, scientists, educators, artists, celebrities, and space enthusiasts for three days of conversations, exhibits, interactive experiences, vendors, and more.
Hosted by Luna Replicas and Space for Humanity, the weekend will explore both the extraordinary history of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo and the renewed excitement surrounding humanity’s return to the Moon through Artemis.
Readers of this newsletter will know that Space for Humanity had the pleasure of partnering with the Luna Replicas team on a number of memorable experiences over the past year, including the historic Artemis II launch and a special opportunity to see the Orion capsule following its return to Earth. Their passion for preserving the history of human spaceflight while bringing that history to life for new generations makes MISSION:60s a particularly exciting collaboration.
For us, it’s a celebration of something at the heart of our mission: the power of space to inspire people to think bigger, see our world differently, and imagine what humanity can accomplish together. We would be delighted if you joined us.
But wait, there’s more! On Friday night, October 23, the opening night of the three-day event, Space for Humanity will hold its 2026 Celestial Soirée! Our largest fundraising event of the year, this unforgettable evening will bring together astronauts, scientists, celebrities, and space leaders for a cocktail reception, three-course dinner, and live auction in support of our mission to expand access to space and inspire a more connected future for humanity.
The Celestial Soirée is an invitation-only event. However, FOR THIS WEEKEND ONLY, we’re opening invitations to the general public. Seating is very limited, so sign up now to attend what is certain to be S4H’s biggest night of the year, during an unforgettable weekend in which MISSION:60s and Space for Humanity celebrate where we’ve been and look forward to where we’re going.
From Vienna to Bordeaux to New York, each of these moments reflects the same belief: that space has the power to change perspectives, bring people together, and inspire what comes next.
We’re grateful to have you on this journey with us, and we hope to see many of you in New York next month.
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