European Space Policy Institute Research Articles

Potential Contributions of Commercial Actors to Space Exploration

Fostering the involvement of commercial actors in public programmes is nowadays a dominant consideration of governments and agencies, who are increasingly eager to explore new mechanisms to take advantage of private contributions to engage in future programmes. In general, various announcements and institution-led initiatives, such as ESA calls for ideas to trigger a commercial utilization of the ISS for example, underline the increasing interest of space agencies in opening exploration programmes to commercial contributions and reap-associated benefits. The growing opportunity of a more prominent contribution of commercial actors to space exploration also lies in the so-called “NewSpace” ecosystem, a general business-driven dynamic observed in the space sector recently and encompassing various trends among which new entrants in the space sector including large Information and Communications Technology firms, start-ups, and new business ventures; innovative industrial approaches with announcements and initial developments of ambitious projects based on new processes; disruptive market solutions providing for example integrated services, lower prices, reduced lead time, lower complexity among other value proposition features; substantial private investments from different sources and involving different funding mechanisms; new industry verticals and space markets targeting the provision of new space applications. In this emerging ecosystem, space exploration and human spaceflight have become a driver of entrepreneurship and investment, stimulating the emergence of various private endeavors pursuing the goal to conduct business in these fields. Among new target markets pursued by commercial actors, space launch systems, commercial services, space mining, orbital tourism, or planetary colonization were recently put under the spotlight with ambitious private project announcement. In this context, the European Space Policy Institute and the Italian Space Agency decided to conduct a study on Potential contributions of commercial actors to space exploration. The general objective of the study is to provide European institutions involved in space exploration programmes with key takeaways on the evolving commercial ecosystem and insights on potential ways to foster successful contributions of commercial actors to achieve European strategic space exploration objectives. More specifically, the study will investigate the space exploration geopolitical, commercial, and programmatic environment and assess how foreseen evolutions could benefit from a more prominent contribution of private actors to space exploration. The study will also examine the conditions for successful contributions of commercial actors and assess the potential impacts and benefits of such contributions.

ESPI Autumn Conference “the governance of space” – Vienna September 2014

The concept of governance has gained considerable attention over the last years. This is true for all parts of society, but very pronouncedly for space, where the increasing diversity of players is calling for ever better approaches to deal with the establishment and monitoring of policies and the management of humanity's most expansive global common. In this process, reference is almost always made to the term governance. In many cases, it is understood in rather specific technical and legal contexts, but it is also used very broadly and sometimes quite indiscriminately. In order to shed light on many of the hidden underlying dynamics of governance, the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) addressed the topic at its 8th Autumn Conference on 11–12 September 2014. To capture the topic of governance from a wide variety of angles, speakers included representatives from space agencies, industry and academia – coming from different parts of the world. Main topics which were addressed during the conference included the relationship between space governance and international relations theory, the effects of liberalisation, regionalisation and geopolitics on space governance, and the evolution of space governance in the European context. This brief report captures the major findings of the two-day event and accentuates a number of trends recurring throughout the speakers' presentations.1

European Space Policy Institute's Seventh Annual Autumn Conference highlights

European Space Policy Institute's Seventh Annual Autumn Conference highlights

Space security through the transatlantic partnership

On 12–14 June 2011, a conference was convened in Prague entitled ”Space Security through the Transatlantic Partnership“, co-sponsored by the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) and the Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI). It was the first non-governmental transatlantic conference of its kind dedicated to this topic, attended by over 100 senior space policy officials and high-level representatives of multilateral institutions, NGOs, academia, and industry from Europe, the USA, and Japan. The overarching goal of the conference was to solicit and assess both converging and diverging views on the multifaceted subject of space security and to seek to establish an on-going “Track II” non-governmental process designed to assist with the crafting of a future architecture for the management of this key dimension of space policy on a trilateral, and eventually global, basis. This report summarizes the proceedings.

Human space exploration – A global trans-cultural quest

This Viewpoint is a slightly edited version of the ‘Statement by Space Explorers on Human Space Exploration’ produced in the wake of a workshop organized by the European Space Policy Institute and held in Vienna in May 2010. While noting the cultural differences in understandings of ‘exploration’ around the world, it also affirms the phenomenon as a globe-wide, human urge, emphasizing that only the physical presence of a human being can assure the full emotional quality of exploration. It calls upon decision makers to regard human space exploration as a global trans-cultural quest that should be supported and furthered.

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 and Copenhagen: The role of satellites

A half-day meeting on the role of satellites in combating climate change was added on to the eleventh annual European Interparliamentary Space Committee meeting in London, October 2009. Organized by the UK Parliamentary Space Committee and the European Space Policy Institute, the meeting's four speakers covered a range of issues, before engaging in discussion with questions from the floor. The main points raised are presented below.

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.

Threats, risks, and sustainability—Answers from space: Results of the ESPI conference

Abstract An initiative was undertaken by the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) on 10–11 December 2007 to shed new light on the various threats to long-term sustainability on Earth using an interdisciplinary approach. The main objective of this conference was to analyse how space could be a tool for prediction, management or mitigation of threats and risks in six sectors (environment, security, mobility, knowledge, resources and energy) defined by ESPI as the main areas for sustainability. For each sector, one (non-space) speaker from a think-tank covering the respective sector and two speakers from the space sector exchanged views and ideas in order to identify common needs for action to ensure sustainability in the field. Such a dialogue between sector specialist and space experts permitted a detailed examination of the way space has become a crucial tool in solving a variety of today's problems. It also identified areas where space applications could better respond to sectoral and future challenges.

Interdisciplinary Odysseys: The ESF/ESA/ESPI Vienna Conference on Humans in Outer Space

An interdisciplinary approach to discussing the human presence in outer space was undertaken on 11–12 October 2007 by the European Science Foundation (ESF), ESA and the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). At the ‘Humans in Outer Space—Interdisciplinary Odysseys’ conference space experts and scholars from the area of humanities as well as social sciences discussed the roles disciplines such as law, philosophy, ethics, culture, art and psychology will increasingly play in space exploration. Conference output took form in the ‘Vienna Vision’, which provides a unique European perspective on the various needs and interests of humanities and social sciences linked with space exploration. This report presents the goals and outcome of the conference, as well describing the analysis leading to the creation of the Vienna Vision.

A market for GMES? Results of the Graz conference

A new step in defining Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) was undertaken in April 2006 by the Austrian Presidency of the EU Council. Together with the European Commission, it organised a conference on ‘A Market for GMES in Europe and its Regions- the Graz Dialogue’. Prepared by the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), the conference assembled experts and users of GMES, who had agreed upon specific issues for discussion. The outcomes of the workshops were then brought to the Graz conference for wider reflection and discussion and summed up in the Graz Declaration (reprinted in the documentation section of this issue), which is a strategic, economic and regional action plan for GMES for the next 10 years, later endorsed by the Competitiveness Council at the end of May. This report presents the goals and outcomes of the conference and underlines the positive impulses it gave to GMES.