University of Twente Student Theses
A tragedy of orbital slots? : Understanding EU decision-making to secure access to outer space in the short and long term
Storck, L.M.S. (2023) A tragedy of orbital slots? : Understanding EU decision-making to secure access to outer space in the short and long term.
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Abstract: | Space is becoming increasingly crowded, leading to two policy incentives: secure access to space as soon as possible and maintain access over the long term. The EU is acutely aware of the problem and sees a strong incentive to stem the exploding debris numbers through a new approach to space traffic management. On the other hand, space is of high strategic importance for the fulfillment of basic civil and military functions. As orbital slots are a limited resource, the EU also sees an incentive to secure these slots via an EU satellite constellation as soon as possible before they are occupied by other space players. This paper provides a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of EU decision-making under the EU Secure Connectivity Programme, also known as IRIS². It analyzes the international environment, the organizational processes, and bureaucratic negotiations of the decision and traces the balance between the objectives of the EU's strategic autonomy and the sustainability of the environmental space. The results reveal a complex web of factors and powerful actors in an under-explored but increasingly relevant field of research. |
Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
Clients: | WWU, Münster, Germany |
Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
Subject: | 89 political science |
Programme: | European Studies MSc (69303) |
Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/95301 |
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