Design for Space: Low-tech opportunities and research methods for citizen designers

DIY communities have limited access to the technologies that may be taken for granted by research and development teams employed by large commercial spaceflight providers or government space organisations. However, lack of access to specialist technology or faculties need not be a barrier to participation in design for space. This paper will work to dispel that myth that design for space must incorporate advanced technology, emphasizing potential for a physics-based, rather than engineering-based approach to design for microgravity. Using spacewear as a case study, this paper will propose research methods that focus on phenomenology and experiential knowledge, and interdisciplinary collaboration between the fields of physics and design. The paper will propose that low-tech design for space should begin with post-gravity thinking, and a critical appreciation for the extent to which design has historically been shaped by gravity.