European Autonomy in Space

When asked why Europe, be it in the guise of the EU or that of ESA, should support or even undertake particular space activities in parallel with—or, formulated more negatively, in duplication of—the activities of other space faring nations and organisations around the world, one element often cited in justification is that it is strategically important that Europe establishes an autonomous set of capacities in this field. It is the objective of this contribution to shed light on the actual and possible meanings of this concept of strategic autonomy both in theory and in EU policy practice. The following section opens the enquiry by taking a closer look at the linguistic, philosophical and conceptual mechanics that operate behind this reference to autonomy, broadening the debate to include other related notions such as autarky, interdependence and non-dependence. In the third section, we examine the meaning and functioning of autonomy as a goal in the context of several other EU policy areas, with attention turning to agriculture, international trade, energy, the Common Foreign and Security Policy and, finally, space. With respect to our final objective of deriving some indications of what the quest for (strategic) autonomy can entail in the context of a nascent European space policy, we conclude that the EU’s use of the autonomy motif has evolved in such a way that it can serve as an effective tool in shaping European space policy. More specifically, it can serve as a plausible and legitimate basis for the EU to enact a sector-specific industrial policy for the space sector.

If there is a domain of space activities to which the expression “autonomy and dependence” does not apply, it is space sciences. As in all other branches of science, space sciences, which embrace astronomy, Solar System exploration, plasma and fundamental physics, as well as Earth sciences, benefit naturally from the strongest interaction of all the scientists involved. Scientific knowledge is based on the broadest confrontation of ideas, exchange of information and publication of results and discoveries. It has always been, is and will continue to be an international endeavour. Even though the brains of scientists are independent in general, space scientists are not autonomous—they are interdependent through an extensive intellectual confrontation that characterizes scientific progress and acquisition of knowledge. Independence in space sciences therefore appears to be more a political slogan than a scientific one.

To what extent is autonomy achievable in space policy and for that matter what can autonomy mean in an age of globalization? Decades of experience and billions worth of investments by both Europe and the USA in the energy domain provide some valuable insights to these questions. Perhaps, the most important among them is that while autonomy is ideally achievable, it also is expensive, politically risky, and hardly guaranteed. Should the EU pursue autonomy in space or should it rather seek increased degrees of interdependence? While there are manifest benefits in choosing the former, such as uninhibited access to earth orbits and enhanced and independent sources of communication, the costs associated with such a path may be prohibitive. Indeed, one must ask whether the gains outweigh the costs of investment or for that matter whether the EU can collectively afford it in the first place. If instead Europe chooses to seek enhanced interdependence, with which countries should it cooperate and how will it address the resulting vulnerabilities that may inhibit and even thwart progress? This chapter examines some of the lessons we can learn from states’ pursuit of energy autonomy and how those lessons can be applied to better understand the risks and opportunities for Europe’s decisions about its space program.

International relations in the twenty-first century are characterised by the lack of a clearly defined systemic order. Contrary to the period of bipolarity, there is no easy-to-be-found description available, indicating whether a general model for global security can be defined. Consequently, analysing the role of the European Union (EU) as an international actor and specifically European foreign, security and defence policy has to be seen against that background. Furthermore, a multitude of actors, interests as well as institutional, legal and systemic specificities, need to be considered. Such sources of influence originate within the system of the EU as well as outside the EU.

Space and security have been inseparable since the inception of space activities. Space-based assets are indispensable for enabling global access, monitoring and communications for an array of security-related concerns. Since the Cold War, the effective functioning of space-based systems for observation, early warning, navigation and communications has played a pivotal role in the preservation of international stability and peace. That said, today’s security environment is far more complex. Security threats and challenges are both civilian and military and local and global.

Space and its utilisation have always been an area of antagonism between national sovereignty and cooperative usage. Humans had entered outer space for not even a decade, mostly to demonstrate the supremacy of a given societal idea, when the Outer Space Treaty in 1967 recognised space as a heritage of mankind and called for its “peaceful use” as an area of cooperation. Thus space incorporates both the utilitarian vision of cooperation in the face of a hostile environment and the realisation of autonomy in the most global arena surrounding our planet.

Astronautics is a base for the technological, economic and military potential of a nation or region. And space applications are one of its key technologies. They combine different kinds of enabling technologies, allowing a diversity of institutional services and added value chains.

Launchers are one of the most recognisable elements of a nation’s space activities. This symbol is even stronger in the context of Europe’s spacefaring identity, as its Ariane 5 launcher is recognised both within the general public and among the actors in the global space community. With a successful track record exceeding 30 years, the Ariane launcher family is both a shining example of European achievements in space and, more broadly, the result of technological and scientific integration processes at the European level.

Human space flight covers a large area of space activities and is very much intertwined with other space sectors such as access to space and space communications as well as space infrastructure operations. Major areas of human space flight that are unique are crewed transportation, cargo transportation, habitation, life support systems, robotics and manned operations.

Europe is dependent on non-European suppliers in many areas of space technology. The most prominent examples can be found in the field of radiation-hard electronic components, but this is also the case in many other areas such as composite fibres, space environment simulation models, etc.