Interstellar Civilization at a Crossroads

Abstract

This article examines the emergence of Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CETI), the Space Age's reiteration of the question of the existence of other civilizations in the universe, at the intersection of astronautics and astronomy, showing how it became a unifying concept across national and disciplinary boundaries under Cold War conditions. It centers on Czechoslovak engineer Rudolf Pešek's mid-1960s efforts within the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) to organize an international CETI symposium in Prague. Although the symposium never took place due to the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, the actions taken to enable it provide insight into how CETI's history is rooted in a specific political context. The article highlights the interest in CETI among certain Warsaw Pact members, focuses on the unique position of Czechoslovakia and the scientific collaboration within the IAA, despite difficulties in astronomy-related internationalism and increasing local tensions in Czechoslovakia, pushing for CETI's validation. The case offers new geopolitical and epistemic perspectives on current historiography, as it demonstrates how CETI was not simply a scientific enterprise. Rather, coproduced through the geopolitical dynamics of the period, it functioned as a diplomatic tool embedded in international relations.