The Public Acquisition of Space Science Information in the 21st Century

The ways that humans acquire information is undergoing a fundamental change comparable with the introduction of Gutenberg's printing press and broadcast systems. Using the literature and a growing body of empirical evidence, including national surveys in 2017, 2019, and 2020, we describe a model of normal space science information acquisition that specifies the roles of education, salience, subject-matter literacy, and navigation skills in the decision to seek information. We contrast this normal model with two models of event-driven or special space science information acquisition, using (1) the 2017 total solar eclipse (TSE) and (2) the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing in 1969 as examples. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of a just-in-time space science information acquisition system for the space science community, including scientists, leaders, and educators.