Geopolitics in Space and the Role of the European Union

Abstract

The changing nature of traditional geopolitics has seen world powers turn to space as the ultimate frontier and potential battlefield. This paper addresses one of the key issues in the international security agenda today: the rise of space as geopolitical concept. It shows how the topic has become a topic of concern to the international community. Its main objectives are 1.) to examine the current developments in the strategic posture of the leading space powers and 2.) to elaborate a new perspective on the European Union’s role in space exploration which places at the centre of a debate the need for major improvements and autonomous capacity building.