New patterns of space policy in the post-Cold War world

Abstract

This paper aims to study the new generation of space policy, analyzing the factors that are pushing towards a new configuration: the new political actors active in this field – developing countries, particularly the BRICs – and the market forces. The objective is to identify the critical factors that are changing the character of space policy. Thanks largely to the interviews conducted in the field, it has been possible to identify three elements which concur to shape a “new pattern” of space policy: the new generation satellites (so called “small satellites”); the ability to launch and the platforms from which to put satellites into orbit; GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) signals that several space agencies are trying to refine in order to become independent from US influence, exerted by “global” supplying of the GPS (Global Positioning System) signal. In conclusion it is therefore possible to reaffirm that space policy is one of the most evident indicators of the changes taking place in post-Cold War politics, and at the same time they are in themselves a critical factor in the definition – and continuous re-definition – of the political hierarchies in the international arena.