Strategic space autonomy for EU political and security goals. Evolution of organisational capacity

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyse European space policy as a unique and innovative undertaking established within the European Union in order to acquire its strategic space autonomy. European space policy evolution, as well as its implementation and space assets being at the EU disposal, are key enablers of the EU space autonomy. The main assumption of the article is that the EU pursues a strategic autonomy in space because it is indispensable to achieve a strategic autonomy in almost all the realms including security and political ones. That is why European space policy was introduced and a key space programmes including Copernicus and Galileo were initiated. As a result, the EU joined the group of space-faring powers as an influential global player that makes an additional considerable contribution to the structural changes in the outer space governance. A qualitative approach used to analyse this topic should lead to several findings. A strategic space autonomy, which is crucial for the EU to perform its multiple roles, could be grouped into three functional levels: institutional, systemic, and military.