spaceson

Spaceson is a term used in speculative fiction and futurist design to denote a person who lives and works primarily in outer space, typically aboard orbital stations, habitats, or long-duration spacecraft. In these contexts, spacesons are imagined as integrated members of spacefaring communities, often with extended residency in microgravity and with life-support, governance, and social systems adapted to space living. The term is not widely standardized and appears mainly in fictional narratives and design discourse rather than formal space programs.

Origins of the term are uncertain, but it appears in various 21st-century science fiction writings as a neologism combining space and person (or son), with occasional variants such as space-son. It is used to evoke identity beyond Earth and to contrast with terrestrial labor.

In many portrayals, spacesons perform roles similar to astronauts or space engineers but are embedded in social structures emphasizing cooperation, habitat management, and mental health support. Storytelling often explores issues of isolation, citizenship in a closed community, and the ethics of space colonization.

Technology and physiology in spaceson fiction often emphasize life-support integration, radiation protection, and lightweight, modular habitats. Some scenarios propose governance mechanisms, education, and cultural practices unique to spaceborne life.

See also: astronaut, cosmonaut, space habitat, life-support system.