The EU should freeze its military ambitions in space

In a clear departure from previous policies and activities, the European Union, together with the European Space Agency, have embarked on a series of military and security related space activities in recent years, often under the umbrella of largely civilian programmes. Such dual-use space programmes not only silently introduce military use of space in the context of the EU, they are to become an integral and essential part of the EU’s growing military ambitions. While these ambitions are opposed by large sections of European society, the EU has made milspace projects a top priority, with no international answer yet to the real and growing risks of military rivalry in space.     

What is the state of play in European governance of space policy?

The European way of doing space differs from others in that, while carried out cooperatively, there is no fully integrated space policy. This is inevitable in a non-sovereign entity whose members do not have the same priorities in many vital sectors such as energy, industry and political economy, and has nevertheless produced some excellent programmes. But, against the background of the worldwide increase in space players and capabilities, Europe's current lack of ambition and foresight, and its limited ability to respond to external developments are worrying. It needs to be more open about its governance and financing plans, something missing from the latest European Commission communication. In these difficult economic times a complete rethinking of future space plans would enable Europe to prioritise on the strategic niches which must be preserved, while proper investigation of the management failures of the flagship programmes might help avoid such difficulties in the future.     

Current barriers and factors of success in the diffusion of satellite services in Europe

Satellite services benefit civil society by helping tackle challenges such as climate change, the digital divide, etc. They have the potential to deliver concrete benefits to European society through innovative services supporting economic, societal and environmental policies. Such benefits can trigger increased public support for space in Europe. However, this potential has yet to be achieved. This paper argues that technological bias, the diversity of interests and initiatives among stakeholders and their individual actions do not always serve their collective objective to ensure wide diffusion of satellite services. It draws on theories of diffusion of innovation and on its authors' participatory work with the space and the user communities and at their interface in an effort to help diffuse satellite services within civil society. One of the major causes of insufficient service diffusion is the weakness of the interface between the space and user communities; some of factors that currently contribute to this state of affairs are the space community's over-reliance on publicly financed, technical demonstration projects as solutions to service diffusion; insufficient coordination by public authorities of innovation policies and programmes with other public policies and objectives; and an insufficient integration of satellite services within users' culture, traditional tools and services. The discussion allows for conclusions to be drawn on how the system of stakeholders could function better in order for satellite services to be successfully diffused in Europe.     

New horizons for Europe – A European Studies perspective on European space policy

This introduction to a special issue sets out the themes to be explored – the role of the EU in a now largely peaceful Europe, the possibilities for space to become a more important tool of EU policy and its potential for promoting further European integration and a European identity – before discussing the various papers.     

Reforming European space governance

The structures governing European space activity, now some 50 years old, require reform to take better account of the plethora of space uses, the growing involvement in space of the EU and the variable degree of European integration. Adopting a method that involves identifying weaknesses in governance – e.g. lack of a European military space programme; problems in maintaining operational service continuity; opposition to change – the authors argue that only by harmonising its decision making and coherently integrating its public organisations will Europe be able to achieve a space programme commensurate with its technical capabilities and its political dimension.     

The new international political and strategic context for space policies

For several years there has been substantial growth in the ‘nationalist’ nature of space programmes around the world, traditionally focused on unaligned useful space applications. It seems that China, India, in the future South Korea, Malaysia and others will set themselves objectives of a more political colouring symbolising national pride in their programmes. At the same time, some countries, like Iran, make no attempt to hide their plans to have their own space defence capabilities. The absolute pre-eminence of the USA, Russia and Europe is starting to fade. For emerging countries space resources are becoming an integral component of their strategic position or an asymmetrical capability aimed at weakening the credibility of advantages held by potential rivals. This article examines the new context and the role that various countries are playing in it. It is how space policies should be determined in order to understand their politico-strategic determinants and to highlight their characteristics. Nevertheless, the competitive spirit is not the only possible way. Permanent space infrastructures could also be organised globally, as ‘global public goods’, to contribute to answering questions related to major issues facing humanity.     

The changing face of the European space sector: the policies of Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom

The current international economic and technical climate has caused changes in the European space sector such that Italy is now struggling to maintain third place in the European hierarchy, the Franco-German relationship has become less dominant, while the UK is becoming more open towards European cooperation. This article analyses the current policies of Germany, the UK and Italy and examines their operating methods. The author speculates on the outlook for these countries in the next 10 years: neither the UK, nor Italy looks set to become a major player and German policy will depend on the success of its upcoming strategic plan. All these countries, and France, however, will need to engage in intensive bilateral consultations if they wish to compete in worldwide markets.     

European space research in support of international partnership

The envisaged future space research programmes, whether in the field of space exploration or Earth observation are becoming more and more technically complicated and so costly that a single nation can hardly afford to realize them. Major non-European space-faring nations, China and India will progressively play an important role besides US, Russia and Japan. The Space Advisory Group of the European Commission recommended that the European Commission supports within Horizon 2020 a comprehensive Robotic Mars-Exploration Programme under European leadership that should become an essential element of a coordinated international space research programme. The International Space Station (ISS) experience shows that cooperative space programmes build links between industries and laboratories from around the world, which then further develop in non-space related activities, with positive impact on the economy and scientific research. Strategies need to be developed to mitigate the gradual increasing risks incurred by climate change. In order to lower their entry barrier to engage in space emerging and developing space nations need to be included in cooperative space programmes. We present the recommendations of the Space Advisory Group of the European Commission concerning Europe's participation to global space endeavours.     

Policy perspectives from the UN international conference on near-Earth objects

This Viewpoint, arising from a UN conference on the subject, proposes policies to increase awareness of the (small but serious) threat from near-Earth objects (NEOs) and to provide guidelines for cooperative observation, research and — if necessary — mitigation programmes. They include extending the Outer Space Treaty to take in NEOs and creating an amateur astronomers' observation network. It is recommended that a vigorous exploration programme be maintained, along with research into getting fast, cheap access to low-Earth orbit and into developing long-range rocket technology. Keeping stocks of nuclear weapons as possible means of deflecting incoming NEOs is considered likely to do more harm than good at this time.     

Europe without fractures: a Spanish view of the European Space Strategy

On 16 November 2000, the Council of the European Space Agency (ESA) meeting at Ministerial level and the European Research Council of the European Union (EU) gathered in Brussels to adopt in parallel two resolutions on a European Strategy for Space. This political impetus indicates a clear motivation to support the further development of the European space sector, based on a much closer collaboration between the two European institutions, thereby exploiting their respective competencies and synergies. This paper presents some Spanish viewpoints relative to the common European Strategy for Space of the EU and ESA. Spain is supportive of the new strategy and the paper describes how its co-ordinated approach could be translated into action across various European programmes.     

Space and maritime security–strategies for countering the pirates

Following previous work on space and internal security as part of the European Space Policy Institute's (ESPI) Space and Security programme, ESPI initiated a workshop dealing with an issue of high political as well as public concern – using space as an instrument in the broader strategic context of maritime security – together with the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES), which has special expertise in security matters related to Europe. Over 50 high-ranking professionals took part in the 30 November 2009 event, “Space and Maritime Security - Strategies and Capabilities to Counter Piracy”, held at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ) in Vienna. The use of space assets for maritime security has moved up the political agenda as a result of the reliance of the EU ATALANTA NAVFOR mission on services and data provided by the European Union Satellite Centre (EUSC). The workshop therefore addressed technological capabilities as well as industrial approaches in the context of the political framework conditions. It provided a dialogue between space and non-space security communities.     

Space education: a step forward

One hundred European university students, with different interests and backgrounds, were asked to complete a questionnaire aimed at understanding their general knowledge and personal rapport with space issues and activities. Although the overall interest in space seemed to be relatively satisfactory, the data resulting from the survey—used for statistical purposes only—showed a poor awareness concerning the past, present and future of space programmes and achievements, and more generally of the economic, political and social implications of space. Stimulated and moved by the survey questions, the students interviewed showed their worries about the already developing process of division, control and commercialisation of space, underlining how the concept of education is differentiated from that of information when dealing with these issues. However, at the same time, all their statements seemed to be based on simple assumptions, preconceptions and presumptions. On the basis of the survey results, the final section of the paper reviews and discusses the present situation of space education in Europe, analysing its deficiencies and suggesting modifications, adjustments and a “step forward” that should be taken into consideration.     

The need for a new Franco-German partnership in space: A joint policy memorandum

France and Germany have long been partners in space. However, new attitudes and directions in their respective space programmes are affecting the nature of traditional Franco-German space relations in an evolving European space context. The long-standing partnership is at a juncture and there is a need for a new dialogue to define what future directions the partnership should take. With this in mind, a joint memorandum was initiated by the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), who prepared it together with the Paris-based Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS) and the Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI), as well as the Berlin-based German Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP). It reflects on the state of current Franco-German space relations and lays out the issues to be considered by decision makers in both countries to provide a new impetus to the Franco-German partnership.     

Europe's next move

Some time before the end of the first quarter of 1991 the Ministerial Council of the European Space Agency will be taking decisions about the development phases of the Columbus and Hermes programmes. The prospects for completing either programme within the originally approved costs are not bright, and operational costs will be three times the amount the ESA spends on its scientific programme. Are they good value for money? The author argues that Europe is in danger of yielding to others the lead in the next generation of space flight.     

Effects of the long-term ESA programme on employment : Eurospace

European countries will be urged to undertake a new space programme, prepared under the direction of the European Space Agency (ESA). Can the financial efforts requested of them be considered as a profitable investment? This article examines the historical and potential effects of the European space programmes on employment, both within and outside the space sector.     

Italian industry's approach to space

European space activities began in the 1960's. The development of what was initially scientific research and which later spread to the enthusiastic involvement of Europe's most advanced industry is by now familiar history. The organization of ELDO and ESRO, which eventually gave way to today's ESA, occured in a span of less than a decade. Many major European countries also commenced their national space programmes during this period. This report examines the space initiatives taken by Italian industry.     

Towards an EU industrial policy for the space sector – Lessons from Galileo

The rise of the EU as an actor in the European and world space theatres, in its various roles as initiator, owner and operator of large-scale programmes such as Galileo and GMES, has raised a number of questions with regard to industrial policy. Based on the experiences from the Galileo programme's procurement round in the Full Operational Capability (FOC) phase and on the present discussions on space industrial policy within the EU, this paper argues that, whereas the EU's political ambitions in space have been discussed and become reasonably well defined, the specific policy tools and legal instruments to put them into practice are far from complete. First, an unequivocal industrial policy for the space sector needs to be defined that reconciles the Union's political ambitions with the economic specificities of the space sector. At present, this is a work in progress, with opinions diverging between member states. Second, both logically and temporally, these policy decisions need to be translated into legal instruments that allow their implementation. This implies the development of made-to-measure funding instruments and procurement rules. We conclude by emphasising the need for a sector-specific industrial policy as an integral part of the EU's space policy.     

European perspectives on trends in public sector Earth observation data policies

The growing number of Earth observation satellites are producing ever increasing amounts of data. These data sets require adequate management to be widely exploited and to ensure preservation of what is a valuable information resource. Many Earth observation organisations have formulated or are developing policies related to how data are managed and distributed which encompass issues such as property rights, access and price of the data, exclusive data use and data archiving. European Earth observation is gaining more prominence in these developing policy issues. This paper is a review, from a largely European perspective, of current Earth observation data policies in operation by various public sector international, regional and national organisations in both the data providing and data user sectors. It will be demonstrated that certain trends exist between the various data policies but that differences in position are present in some key areas which may need to be reconciled in order for the Earth observation sector to reach maturity.     

Talking space: The European Commission's changing frames in defining Galileo

This paper traces the way in which the European Commission has framed and reframed the issue of EU satellite navigation over 20 years. It investigates how the EU's agenda-setter has ‘talked about’ space policy, with a particular focus on Galileo, and how its own institutional discourse – as revealed in its communications throughout the agenda-setting stage of Galileo's ‘definition’ phase – evolved in the 1990s through the use of ‘frame sets’. In so doing, it illustrates the ways in which, over time, the EU's executive has ‘projected’ the issue of independent satellite navigation capabilities as being politically and economically desirable for Europe, and has sought to persuade decision makers of its cross-policy relevance and potential economic, social and security benefits. The article deconstructs official documents and engages in a close-up analysis of policy formulation, to identify nascent, evolving and mature frames in the definition of Galileo.     

German SIMBOX on Chinese mission Shenzhou-8: Europe's first bilateral cooperation utilizing China's Shenzhou programme

On November 1, 2011, at 05:58 local time, the Chinese spaceship Shenzhou-8 was launched for a 17-day mission with a Long March rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Mongolia desert. On board was the German SIMBOX (Science in Microgravity Box) experimental facility containing 17 bio-medical experiments, which were conducted by German researchers together with their Chinese colleagues. It was the first time that China cooperated with a European nation in the scientific utilization of Shenzhou – the core element of China's human spaceflight programme.