Can Communities Produce Complex Technology? Looking Into Space for Insight

Datos Bibliográficos

ID20360321
AutoresLucas Lemos (0000-0003-1890-1491, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia, autor de correspondencia), Chris Giotitsas (0000-0001-9095-9095, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia)
Año2021
Volumen41
Número2-3
Páginas35-45
Fecha de publicación2021-10-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaBulletin of Science Technology & Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0270-4676 • E-ISSN: 1552-4183
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/02704676211041900
OpenAlexW3201226804
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas37

This article examines a community producing complex space technology. We attempt to highlight which aspects of the community’s activities can help democratize high-tech development while providing a context for similar cases involved in developing and manufacturing nonhigh-technological artefacts. We discuss how this has been made possible by using a technology-determined organizational approach based on the CubeSat open platform infrastructure, blending formal and hands-on education, open communication, specific recruitment and working practices, and a genuine passion for technology. We identify as critical enablers for community-based collaborative development of space technology the open-source architecture standard called CubeSat Design Specifications, the modularization of work in subsystems and between different organizations, and the open and participatory approach work tasks distribution and decision making. Moreover, we argue that the digital/informational aspect of this technology allows the community to implement organizational practices that resemble how open-source movements over the internet produce complex digital artefacts like Wikipedia or Linux. ESTCube can shed light on community-driven complex technology development, providing lessons on what a democratized version of high technology would resemble and how open and digitalized technology can help develop the capacities of a community

Citizen journalism · Knowledge management · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Economic Development and Digital Transformation