CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEPENDENCY ON SPACE SYSTEMS

Abstract

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEPENDENCY ON SPACE SYSTEMS Space systems are enablers of key applications which have become critical for the functioning of the infrastructure system-of-systems, especially from the perspective of risk governance efforts and CI protection. Rapid innovation in space system cost, accessibility and applications has engendered various degrees of dependence on them. The critical dependencies are not evenly distributed throughout geographic areas, industries, infrastructure systems or national territory, even throughout the European Union. As for the critical aspect of dependencies, in which such interrelations lead to new vulnerabilities and the risk of cascading disruptions in complex systems, the greater emphasis on space systems has served to mitigate certain risks while encouraging others. Even in areas where space services remain a fact of tomorrow and criticality has not been achieved, it is the nature of interdependent critical infrastructures to enable propagation of space system disruption risk from areas which are, indeed, heavy users of space systems. Ultimately, the incentives for the use of space services are too great for the potential risks to deter usage, and it falls to responsible stakeholders (governments, providers, consumers, technical authorities and international organizations) to create the legislative and organizational framework and instruments for identifying and addressing the risks generated by the growing dependence on space systems.