NATO and Space

Drawing on posthumanist thought, the chapter critiques the integration of Military Design Thinking into NATO’s doctrine development, arguing that dominant strategic approaches risk overlooking embodied, socio-material entanglements shaping space security. Through two case studies—creativity in the engineering design practices that built RAF Fylingdales and the creation of a wellbeing garden for space operators—the chapter illustrates how creative, embodied practices can offer alternative, affirmative approaches to collective defence. By foregrounding care, lived experience, and socio-technical interdependencies, the chapter concludes by highlighting the transformative potential of creative placemaking practices in generating new modalities of security and diplomacy in outer space.