In 2022 the New Zealand Space Agency sought to understand New Zealanders’ views of the National Space Policy by requesting feedback on the values, interests and objectives underpinning the Policy. However, many respondents also raised concerns, unprompted. Given that views are formed through more than just values and interests, this research sought to compare views of the space sector using ‘worries and concerns’ as the variable of interest. The worries and concerns of different interest groups were compared so that, should differences be found, responses to the concerns may be tailored to the group(s) expressing most concern.

A public survey, available online in early 2024, was used to gather qualitative and quantitative data from two hundred and ten participants. The survey consisted of 6 sections (regulation, military involvement, economic impact, social and cultural impact, environmental sustainability and a summary section); at the beginning of each section participants were presented with a text box prompting them to write any worries or concerns related to the topic of that section. Following that, respondents rated to what extent they worried about a particular issue on a 5 point Likert type scale.

The largest of the 6 interest groups (Industry, Academic, General, Cultural, Limited/None, Other; derived based on the groups used by the Space Policy Review), was those with a general interest in space. The issues listed across the groups were informed by both the unprompted concerns raised during the Space Policy Review, and by the wider literature.

The results showed significant differences between the concerns of respondents who work in the New Zealand space sector and those with the general interest, cultural connections, and a limited or no engagement with space. Industry respondents were less worried than all other respondents across most issues.

This research provides a holistic understanding of the views held by New Zealanders of the New Zealand space sector by complementing the results of the Space Policy Review consultation. Such understanding will be invaluable as the public become more aware of the activities of the space sector and how such activities impact life on earth.