This report on a cultural policy for the International Space Station (ISS) resulted from a study on potential cultural uses of the ISS and its ground-based facilities. The document offers policy recommendations for involving the European cultural community in the ISS programme on a permanent basis, proposes strategies and "ready-to-implement demonstrator projects in arts, culture and media". The European Space Agency (ESA) contracted The Arts Catalyst (Great Britain) to conduct this study, which was carried out in cooperation with the Association Leonardo-Olats (France) and Delta Utec (The Netherlands), with the MIR network.

"The International Space Station is a great achievement of human ingenuity and international cooperation, as well as a cutting-edge research facility. But the European Space Agency (ESA) believes strongly that the cultural world too should have a say in the future of space exploration. We therefore want to open the ISS to a new community of artistic and cultural users." Daniel Sacotte, Director of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration, ESA

Although there is some interest in the cultural world about possibilities for art in outer space, there is little awareness of the International Space Station and its activities, and there are very few examples of space artworks that have been officially put in orbit or produced using "cutting edge" space technology.

In 2005, the Arts Catalyst, a science art agency from London, was commissioned by the ESA for a six month study to set out a framework for cultural utilisation policy of the ISS. The study team also involved Leonardo-Olats and Delta Utec.

The working process included consultations with European and international artistic and cultural communities, seminars in Berlin, Yverdon and London, and a two-day workshop at the ISS - Erasmus User Centre, ESTEC, Noordwijk (The Netherlands), which gathered representatives from the European cultural sector and ESA.
In the beginning of 2006 the Arts Catalyst's Executive Summary was completed and submitted to the ESA.
The document is still awaiting approval by ESA, but the public has been allowed to see it.

The full report, based on the study of cultural utilisation of the ISS, consists of the following documents: Policy Recommendations, Selection of Project Ideas by Type/ISS Feature, Historical Contextualisation of Space Art, Report on Mid-Term Presentation and Workshop and Feasibility Studies for Selected Proposed Projects.

The strategies proposed in the Executive Summary include:

• artists residency programmes (the use of ISS ground-based facilities)
• development of the projects using the ISS (corresponding to its mission and function)
• creation of a Scientist-Artist Network (creation of transdisciplinary thematic programmes that connect art-science-education-media)
• engagement of "Cultural Mission Specialists" (the artists who will work with astronauts during prescribed mission-time)
• partnerships with cultural institutions and art/design schools, and
• cooperation with film and television.

The projects recommended for realisation within ISS should be of high cultural and artistic significance, and should correlate with the space programme and environment (in the terms of function or symbol). A team of art and cultural experts should be formed to act as an advisory body to the ESA on the selection of cultural programmes.

The study showed that the cultural use of the ISS and connecting ESA with the European (international) cultural sector might strengthen political support for ESA, create a positive image amongst the general public, and raise awareness of the ISS programme as a European scientific (and cultural) undertaking that will match "first-class science" and "first-class art".