European Space Security Policy: A Cooperation Challenge for Europe

Abstract

Experts consensually agree that ensuring the security, safety, sustainability, and stability of space activities is a growing challenge and therefore a dominant concern for public and private stakeholders worldwide. At the crossroad of multiple strategic, political, and operational issues, space security also holds a special place in the European context. This chapter reviews major policy stakes for Europe in this field and discusses the achievements and limits of the current approach to space security in Europe. In particular, it examines some recent developments in the space security field such as the major steps announced by the US government in the field of space traffic management and its potential consequences on the ongoing progress of the European agenda in this matter.