Space policy and security changes and continuities in the second age

Abstract

The present article investigates the space policy related to space security. The objective is to identify changes and continuities between the First (1957-1991) and the Second Space Era (1991-?). From the methodological point of view, the investigation consists of a bibliographic review and a documentary analysis. The paper has two parts: the first reconstructs the space race that occurred during the Cold War, while the second investigates the contemporary dynamics of space security. As final considerations, it was possible to observe continuity in the strategic use of outer space. There are two changes. The first concerns the growing importance of artificial satellites, both from military and economic aspects. The second refers to the plurality of new space actors, which increases the complexity of the interactions and can contribute to the conflict.