This paper describes how visionary planners may apply Exploratory Foresight to think about far futures (i.e. beyond 30 years) in space. A compelling reason why this approach is valuable within the broader context of Foresight - that also includes Normative Foresight - is the deficiency of other methods for providing future references to augment the forecasts that strategic planners use. The paper describes the linkage between Exploratory and Normative Foresight exercises (a companion paper, entitled "Beyond ISS - Normative Foresight reveals Stepping Stones to the Future", describes the application of normative foresight in a space setting.) By "prospecting" the future and through "backcasting", Foresight practitioners trace "pathways" backwards to the present-day (2004) landscape. From the perspective of "observers inhabiting" several strategically defined far future scenarios the pathways linking "historic" events, that "were" prerequisite for each scenarios to become a reality. Any cross-cutting events identified along the pathways become the focus of special interest. An exploratory foresight pilot project with a broad scope admitting all the science and technology concerns of the Government of Canada concluded in 2003. Some of the conclusions are relevant to space. The paper describes the methodology applied and shows how it may be better adapted to a more focused and detailed project for space. This includes examples of how to manage such a project illustrated with a demonstration of characteristic tools.
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