CulturesinOrbit CONSOLE-INGPASSIONS TELEVISION AND CULTURAL POWER EditedbyLynnSpigel Lisa Parks Cultures in Orbit Satellites and the Televisual DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS DURHAM AND LONDON 2005 ©2005DukeUniversityPress Allrightsreserved PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericaonacid-freepaper(cid:4) DesignedbyRebeccaGiménez TypesetinScalabyTsengInformationSystems LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData appearonthelastprintedpageofthisbook. Inlovingmemoryofmygrandmother, MarionMann. Contents Acknowledgments•ix Introduction•1 1 Satellite Spectacular•21 OurWorldandtheFantasyofGlobalPresence 2 Satellite Footprints•47 ImparjatvandPostcolonialFlowsinAustralia 3 Satellite Witnessing•77 ViewsandCoverageoftheWarinBosnia 4 Satellite Archaeology•109 RemoteSensingCleopatrainEgypt 5 Satellite Panoramas•139 AstronomicalObservationandRemoteControl Conclusion•167 Notes•185 Bibliography•213 Index•233 Acknowledgments Thisprojectbegannearlyadecadeagoinagraduateseminar,andithas, thankfully,mutatedandtransformedmanytimessincethen.Itoncetook shapeasmyPh.D.dissertationintheDepartmentofCommunicationArts at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where I was fortunate to work withawonderfulmedleyofprofessorsandgraduatestudents,whomIwill never be able to thank enough for creating such a stimulating place to think,learn,andlive.FacultymembersJulieD’Acci,MicheleHilmes,Nick Mirzoeff,JoEllenFair,DavidBordwell,VanceKepley,RobertMcChesney, andJackKugelmassofferedwisdomandencouragementinandoutoftheir courses,andinonewayoranothertheyhelpedspawnideasrelatedtothis project.IamespeciallythankfultomyadviserandfriendJohnFiske,whose jugglingofintellectualpursuits,politicalcommitments,andpopularplea- suresdazzlemetothisdayandwhohelpedspinmeintotheorbitofwrit- ing this book. Also instrumental was a sharp and lively cohort of fellow graduatestudentsandfriendsatuw,Madison,includingDougBattema, AnikoBodroghkozy,CarolynBronstein,PaulaChakravarrty,SteveClassen, NormaCoates,JenniferFay,ShariGoldin,DerekKompare,ElanaLevine, Daniel Marcus, Donald Mekiffe, Jason Mittell, Matthew Murray, Darrell Newton,JeffSconce,ChrisSmith,TashaOren,andPamelaWilson.Mostof allIthankMoyaLuckett,JennyThomas,KevinGlynn,AndrewFoster,and GuvenSarginforremainingdearpalsovertheyears.Iamalsoextremely grateful to Michael Kackman, whose insights and warmth are scattered throughoutthesepages. WhenImovedtotheDepartmentofFilmStudiesattheUniversityof California,SantaBarbara,thisbookcontinuedtodevelopandtransform. Mycolleaguesandstudentsherehavebeentremendouslygenerous,andI amprivilegedtoworkwithpeopleofrareintelligence,kindness,andcol- legiality.IamgratefultotheFilmStudiesfaculty:EdwardBranigan,Dana