Palestine Space Institute
LightNews LightNews
banner
palestinespace.bsky.social
Palestine Space Institute
@palestinespace.bsky.social
970 followers 9 following 66 posts
https://linktr.ee/palestinespace

Profile: The Palestine Space Institute logo.
Banner: white text on a teal background. Advocating for Peace, from Palestine to the Stars
Posts Replies Media Videos
palestinespace.bsky.social
"Yeah, come work with us." - AJ (from the abyss).
October 28, 2025 at 2:50 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
Apply now to join a global community reimagining the future of space for justice 🌍

Application form: tiny.cc/psi-fellowship
Deadline: November 10, 2025
Palestine Space Institute logo and header “PSI Fellowship General Info.” Text explains the six-month remote fellowship open to individuals worldwide, with mentorship and research support provided. Expected outcomes include a research report, blog post, and presentation. Fellows receive a stipend upon completion. Blue background with glowing edges. Palestine Space Institute logo and header “PSI Fellowship Timeline.” Text lists: Application deadline: November 10, 2025 Review and interviews: November 2025 Notification: December 2025 Start date: January 2026 Midway milestones: February–April 2026 Final deliverables: June 2026 Showcase event: July 2026 Blue glowing background with “Apply Now” button.
October 28, 2025 at 2:38 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
PSI Fellowship applications are now open! 🚀

The second round of our fellowship will focus on Earth Observation for Gaza, exploring how satellite data can support justice, accountability, and sustainability.

Application form: tiny.cc/psi-fellowship
Deadline: November 10, 2025
Graphic announcement with the Palestine Space Institute logo. Text reads: “Call for Applications. Palestine Space Institute Fellowship 2025–2026. Deadline: November 10. Apply Now.” The background features a glowing blue gradient. Palestine Space Institute logo and header “PSI Fellowship 2025 Research Areas.” Text describes two Earth Observation research areas: Data and technical analysis (remote sensing, satellite imagery, open datasets). Legal and policy considerations (data access, sovereignty, privacy, and international space law). Blue gradient background.
October 28, 2025 at 2:38 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
Last year, PSI launched its Fellowship Program to support critical research at the intersection of space, justice, and decolonization. Join us this upcoming Monday, October 27 at 7pm CET, for our inaugural Fellowship Showcase.

Register here: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
The Palestine Space Institute logo in the middle of the page. It is a white 2-D hexagon or 3-D cube formed from the letters PSI. Center aligned white text above the logo says “Palestine Space Institute Fellowship Showcase.” Center aligned white text underneath the logo says “Join to learn more about the work of our 2024 PSI Fellows October 27 at 7PM CET.” There is a button that says register now. The background is dark blue and teal gradient. On a dark blue and teal gradient background there's white text that says: PALESTINE SPACE INSTITUTE EVENT PROGRAM 7:00 Introduction to the Palestine Space Institute Sahba El-Shawa, PSI Founder 7:05 Dissecting Empire: 2 Years of the PSI Space and MIC Database Divya M. Persaud, PSI Research Manager 7:20 Profiting from Genocide: Financial Benefits of U.S. Space and Defense Companies after October 2023 Oguz Karasu, PSI Fellow 2024 7:35 Dare mighty (classified) things? How American defense interests guide and censor the development, operation, and distribution of space technology through time Adeene Denton, PSI Fellow 2024 7:50 Q&A and Discussion 8:15 Fellowship Round 2 Presentation Giuliana Rotola, PSI Fellowship Coordinator 8:25 Closing Remarks
October 26, 2025 at 12:53 AM
palestinespace.bsky.social
Join PSI and (Un)Common Cosmos at the University of Sydney on October 1st as we confront spacewashing, censorship, militarization, and complicity in genocide.

Register at palestinespace.org/iac2025
Dark blue and teal poster with logos of Palestine Space Institute and (Un)Common Cosmos at the top. Title reads “Event Program.” Timeline lists: 4:00 – Introduction & Acknowledgement: Addressing IAC censorship. 4:10 – “Decolonial Practices in Space” by Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, Karman Fellow, The Karman Project. 4:25 – “As Above So Below: Genocide & Ecocide” by Juan Francisco Salazar, Professor, Western Sydney University. 4:40 – “Space and the Military Industrial Complex: Spacewashing Genocide at the IAC” by Sahba El-Shawa, Founder, Palestine Space Institute. 5:00 – “Rocket Launches & Weapons Testing: Addressing Australia’s Complicity in Genocide” by Casey Domingo and Harriet Hurley, Co-founders, (Un)Common Cosmos. 5:20 – Panel & Discussion moderated by Giuliana Rotola, Fellowship Coordinator, Palestine Space Institute.
September 25, 2025 at 6:38 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
As the genocide in Gaza continues, the IAC is about to take place under the theme of "Sustainable Space: Resilient Earth." But what does it mean to celebrate "sustainable" space while profiting from the violence of war and colonialism on Earth?

Register at palestinespace.org/iac2025
Dark blue and teal poster with logos of Palestine Space Institute and (Un)Common Cosmos at the top. The bold title reads “IAC Counter Event: Spacewashing, Justice, and Genocide in Gaza.” Subtext explains the event confronts the space industry’s complicity in colonialism, militarism, and genocide, exposing companies profiting from war and colonial violence and creating space for justice-driven visions of exploration. A turquoise starry map outline of Palestine is on the right. A highlighted box states: “This is a call to resist. To hold our industry accountable. To demand a future for space that is rooted in justice rather than violence.” Event details: Wednesday October 1st, 4–6 PM AEST, University of Sydney, with exact location shared upon registration. The bottom notes the event is taking place on the Traditional Lands of the Gadigal people and includes a QR code for info and registration.
September 25, 2025 at 6:38 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
PSI is speaking at the Contemporary Developments in Space Ethics conference organized by The Open University! Join us on March 21 at 10 AM GMT for our panel on Justice, where we’ll unpack the concept of spacewashing and its ties to militarism and corporate influence in space. #Spacewashing
A digital graphic with a dark blue gradient background featuring glowing white and cyan text. At the top, the Palestine Space Institute (PSI) logo and name are displayed in white. Below, bold white text reads "Contemporary Developments in Space Ethics Conference." A subheading in smaller white text states, "Catch PSI on the 'Justice' panel presenting:" followed by the talk title in bold cyan and white text: "SPACEWASHING AND THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX: A PROPOSED FRAMEWORK AND CASE STUDY." At the bottom, The Open University logo is displayed with the text "Organized by The Open University." The date and time of the panel, "March 21 at 10 AM GMT," and a note that "Free registration is still open" are included in white text.
March 19, 2025 at 3:18 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
We are at the 2024 United Nations Conference on Space Law and Policy this week, hosted by UNOOSA in Vienna, Austria.

Our Human Rights & Policy Lead, AJ Link, will represent PSI as we aim to contribute to critical discussions on the intersection of space law, policy, and human rights.
Graphic on a gradient dark blue and teal background showing the logo of the Palestine Space Institute at the top, followed by text that reads: 'Meet us at the 2024 United Nations Conference on Space Law and Policy, 19-21 November 2024, Vienna, Austria.' At the bottom, there is a photo of AJ Link, labeled with their name and title: 'AJ Link, Human Rights & Policy Lead.'
November 19, 2024 at 9:52 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
#PSI is presenting at the #IAC2024 in Milan next week!

October 15: The Palestine Space Institute: Disrupting a Cultural of Space Militarism, Colonialism, and Imperialism.

October 17: Space as a Zone of Peace: Envisioning a Resolution for the Demilitarization of Outer Space.

#SpaceForPeace
PSI IAC Announcement Graphic on a cosmic blue and gradient blue backgrounds. At the top is the IAC 75 logo for the International Astronautical Congress from 14-18 October 2024 in Milan, Italy. In the middle is the Palestine Space Institute name and logo. Underneath are the headshots for AJ Link, Sahba El-Shawa, and Giuliana Rotola. At the bottom it says: Presenting Symposium E1 Session 2 | The Palestine Space Institute: Disrupting a Cultural of Space Militarism, Colonialism, and Imperialism Symposium E9 Session 3 | Space as a Zone of Peace: Envisioning a Resolution for the Demilitarization of Outer Space.
October 8, 2024 at 6:25 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
We at the Palestine Space Institute are pleased to invite you to the next webinar in the PSI series "Forensic Architecture: Regarding Palestine" presented by Dr. Samaneh Moafi, @ForensicArchitecture on Wednesday July 24, 2024 at 17:00 UTC.

Register for it here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
White text on a dark blue background, with the PSI logo in the top right corner. The top left corner reads "PSI webinar." The headline is "Forensic Architecture: Regarding Palestine." Presented by Dr Samaneh Moafi from Forensic Architecture, and hosted by the Palestine Space Institute. It is on Wednesday July 24, 2024 at 17:00 UTC. Below is a blue icon that says "Register now".
July 21, 2024 at 10:07 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
The Palestine Space Institute are pleased to invite you to our first public webinar, "Comrades in Arms: Universities and the Military Industrial Complex", presented by Okopi Ajonye, from Demilitarise Education on Wednesday July 17, 2024 at 17:00 UTC.

Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
White text on a dark blue background, with the PSI and Demilitarize Education logos in the top right corner. The top left corner reads "PSI webinar." The headline is "Comrades in Arms: Universities and the Military Industrial Complex." Presented by Okopi Ajonye from Demilitarize Education, and hosted by the Palestine Space Institute. It is on Wednesday July 17, 2024 at 17:00 UTC. Register at the Link in Bio
July 15, 2024 at 3:23 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
Today, we're proud to announce the PSI Database and accompanying report, a groundbreaking resource that shines a light on the deep ties between the military-industrial complex (MIC) and the space industry.
Header says “Space and the military-industrial complex: A PSI report and database.” Above is the Palestine Space Institute logo. It is a white 2-D hexagon or 3-D cube formed from the letters PSI against a dark blue and teal gradient background. Header: Access the database Text: Visit our website or scan the QR code below. You will find an introductory blog post (describing the main results and an overview of our NASA case study), a preview of the database, and three links: The full report (PDF), a form to request access to the full database, and a form to request data addition to the database.
April 11, 2024 at 4:21 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
Our upcoming PSI Space and MIC report and database will unveil the connections between space exploration and military technologies, which play a role in the oppression of Palestinians and indigenous peoples worldwide.
 
#LandDay #Palestine #PSI
Header says “Space and the military-industrial complex: PSI report and database” above the Palestine Space Institute logo. It is a white 2-D hexagon or 3-D cube formed from the letters PSI. Underneath the logo it says “Coming Soon” in all capital letters. The background is a dark blue and teal gradient.
March 30, 2024 at 8:27 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
A picture of Martian hills from the Curiosity rover. In the bottom left corner of the picture there’s a grey box with white text that says “BAE Systems Processors and Mapping Software Support NASA’s Curiosity While Roving on Mars.” Underneath in white text it says “Mars rover terrain images are processed using BAE Systems software that was developed for military applications.” Underneath in centered white text on a dark teal text bubble it says “‘Space and defense’ companies supply Israel with satellites, aircraft, and weapons components while whitewashing their image with space exploration (PSI Space and MIC Database, 2024).”
March 30, 2024 at 8:25 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
A then and now comparison of Maxar images, published by Reuters, show the before/after of the recent bombing of Jabalia refugee camp. Underneath in white text it says “Maxar and Planet boast humanitarian projects but restricted public access to satellite data in October 2023.” Underneath in centered white text on a dark teal text bubble it says “Our satellite data is not distinct from military satellites. These Maxar images, published by Reuters, show the before/after of the recent bombing of Jabalia refugee camp. Maxar also provides satellite data to the IOF.”
March 30, 2024 at 8:24 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
Centered white text on a dark blue and teal gradient background. Header says “Colonial Legacy of Surveillance” in all capital letters. Body text is a bulleted list. Bullet 1: Mapping technologies, including geospatial techniques, also continue the project of surveillance of Palestinians through tracking locations and facilitating checkpoints. Bullet 2: Location data are weaponized by Israel to target healthcare and aid workers in Gaza, as well as hospitals, civil facilities, and other infrastructure vital to Palestinian life. Bullet 3: Surveillance technology is afforded to colonial entities without question, whereas access to satellite data is conveniently restricted when it could monitor Israeli activity (see Kyl-Bingaman Amendment).
March 30, 2024 at 8:24 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
Centered white text on a dark blue and teal gradient background. Header says “The Remote Sensing Paradox” in all capital letters. Body text is a bulleted list. Bullet 1: Remote sensing isn’t passive representation of “nature”—it draws and inscribes motivations and propaganda the same way that maps do. Bullet 2: Satellite images can empower documentation of genocide, settlements, and ecocide. Bullet 3: But digital maps (like Google) continue terra nullius: changing Arabic names of Palestinian places, incorrectly representing built environments, and conveying expansion of the Israeli map through its illegal settlements.
March 30, 2024 at 8:24 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
A greyscale map of southern Gaza with red, orange and grey dots representing Greenhouses that were destroyed (red), partially destroyed (orange), or remaining (grey) during the Ground Invasions October 2023 (dark red) and November 2023 (bright red). The map is labeled: “No Traces of Life: Israel’s Ecocide in Gaza 2023–2024,” Forensic Architecture, March 29 2024.” Underneath in centered white text on a dark teal text bubble it says “Environmental racism and eco-apartheid, ecocide, water rights, food/climate/reproductive justice are all tied to mapping the political entity of Israel to Palestinian land and constantly expanding, defining, redefining borders to control and erase Indigenous peoples.”
March 30, 2024 at 8:23 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
Centered white text on a dark blue and teal gradient background. Header says “Mapping ‘Nothing’ in Palestine” in all capital letters. Body text is a bulleted list. Bullet 1: Britain used maps to carve up Palestine, inscribing its extractivist, colonial end-goals. Bullet 2: Surveys by the British Mandate monitored and (underlined) erased Palestinian social and political life & language, feeding into the Zionist trope of “A land without a people for a people without a land.” Bullet 3: The common Zionist myth of “making the desert bloom” maps nothingness onto the nature in Palestine and naturalizes ecocide, greenwashing settler colonialism.
March 30, 2024 at 8:23 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
Centered white text on a dark blue and teal gradient background. Header says “What’s in a map?” in all capital letters. Body text is a bulleted list. Bullet 1: A map is a model of reality—shaped by what it is meant to capture, and then be used for. Bullet 2: Colonialist mappers record land as empty or barren, whereas science often draws nature as separate from people. Bullet 3: Settler colonialism, slavery, and the rise of capitalism led to cataloguing natural and human resources separately for extraction and exploitation. Bullet 4: Zionists insist that Palestinians are not rooted to the land but Arab interlopers, while reselling extracted resources as their own. Underneath in centered white text on a dark teal text bubble it says “Terra nullius” = “land of no one” = ideological basis of settler colonialism”.
March 30, 2024 at 8:22 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
Centered white text on a dark blue and teal gradient background. Header says “What is Land Day?” in all capital letters. Body text is a bulleted list. Bullet 1: Land Day, observed on March 30th each year, marks a significant event in Palestinian history and resistance. It commemorates the day in 1976 when the Israeli government announced a plan to expropriate thousands of acres of land for state purposes. This sparked widespread protests and a general strike, involving Palestinians with Israeli citizenship and in the occupied Palestinian territories.” Bullet 2: “Peaceful protests were met with a violent response from the Israeli military, resulting in the deaths of six Palestinians, with hundreds more wounded.” Underneath in centered white text on a dark teal text bubble it says “Land Day has since become a symbol of Palestinian resistance against Israeli policies and a day to remember the struggle for land.”
March 30, 2024 at 8:21 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
On Land Day, we recognize the enduring Palestinian struggle for land and rights, and we shed light on how it relates to space. From remote sensing to maps, surveillance, and the military-industrial complex, space technology plays a pivotal role in shaping our world.

#LandDay #Palestine #PSI
On the right side of the image is an outline of the map of Palestine with a blue galaxy cluster filled in. On the left side in white text it says “Land Day and Space” with the subheading that says “Remote sensing, Maps, Surveillance, and the Military-Industrial Complex” In the bottom left corner in white there’s the PSI logo and text that says “Palestine Space Institute.” The PSI logo is a white 2-D hexagon or 3-D cube formed from the letters PSI. The background for the whole image is a dark blue and teal gradient.
March 30, 2024 at 8:20 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
A huge thank you to everyone who applied. We're reviewing all the amazing submissions and will be in touch in the coming days. Stay tuned!
Center aligned white text above the logo says “The Palestine Space Institute Fellowship. 50 plus Applications Received.” The Palestine Space Institute logo is at the bottom of the page. It is a white 2-D hexagon or 3-D cube formed from the letters PSI. The background is dark blue and teal gradient.
March 27, 2024 at 7:22 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
Thank you to everyone who has already applied to the #PSIFellowship! We are extending our application deadline to next Friday, March 22nd! You can still apply at tiny.cc/psi-fellowship.
The Palestine Space Institute logo in the middle of the page. It is a white 2-D hexagon or 3-D cube formed from the letters PSI. Center aligned white text at the top says “The Palestine Space Institute Fellowship.” Center aligned white text above the logo says “Deadline extended” and center aligned white text below the logo says “Apply Now!”. Center aligned white text at the bottom says “Deadline: March 15th” but it is crossed out. Underneath it now says “Deadline: March 22nd.”
March 15, 2024 at 11:05 PM
palestinespace.bsky.social
If you have questions about the #PSIFellowship, we have some answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions on our website - just click the link below! Got more questions? Drop them in the replies below!

www.palestinespace.org/fellowship#h...
The Palestine Space Institute logo in the middle of the page. It is a white 2-D hexagon or 3-D cube formed from the letters PSI. Center aligned white text above the logo says “The Palestine Space Institute Fellowship.” Center aligned white text underneath the logo says “Frequently Asked Questions.” The background is dark blue and teal gradient.
March 14, 2024 at 3:32 PM