  We present a computational method to quantify the geopolitical impact of a
space mission, based on the national budget and data logs of previous missions,
and evidencing how even if some missions succeed, they can bring negative
effects to the sponsored country. The objective of this research is to study
how the success (or failure) of a space mission can bring an economical and
political benefit (or loss) to a country. By retrieving various data, including
sentiment from #hashtags related to the considered space missions, national
budgets for space exploration, and the reliability of space launch systems,
from social networks, public institutions, and online repositories, we propose
an equation to evaluate the geopolitical importance of a space mission for a
particular country or space agency. The geopolitical equation can be used by
public institutions or private companies to estimate the potential impact of a
space mission on public opinion and international relationships, which can be
either positive or negative, as even successful missions may negatively affect
international relationships and negotiations with some countries and their
partners. Also we combine the ideology of classic social policy with a security
and space mission point of view, to enlighten cultural, institutional, and
political limits in public spending decisions.
