Space and Defense
Abstract
This study examines whether Brazil’s national space policy goal of increasing public awareness of space activities has been met, using Google Trends data as a proxy for public interest. While public perception surveys are scarce outside the United States, web-based data provide a cost-effective and timely alternative for gauging public engagement. The authors analyzed two decades (2004–2024) of Brazilian search activity related to space topics, institutions, technologies, companies, and missions. Results show no clear upward trend in public interest, suggesting that Brazil’s stated policy objectives of raising awareness have not yet translated into measurable outcomes. Although searches related to government institutions are declining, interest in commercial and private-sector space activities appears more stable or slightly increasing. The findings indicate that successful public engagement strategies in Brazil’s space sector may depend on embracing the emerging NewSpace paradigm, highlighting private-sector participation and tangible societal benefits. This work also demonstrates the potential of Google Trends as a valuable tool for assessing policy effectiveness in contexts where traditional polling is limited.
DOI
10.32873/uno.dc.sd.16.02.1318
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Cabello, Andrea Felippe and Melo, Michele
(2025)
"Raising Public Awareness on Space Themes: Analysis of Brazilian Space Policy Using Data from Google Trends,"
Space and Defense: Vol. 16:
No.
2, Article 6.
DOI: 10.32873/uno.dc.sd.16.02.1318
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/spaceanddefense/vol16/iss2/6
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