The world is entering a new phase of the Space Age. Launch costs have reduced significantly and the number of actors launching satellites into orbit will continue to increase. Major powers have set up space forces and are militarizing and weaponizing space in support of terrestrial warfighting capabilities. Lower costs of space travel are opening the door to the establishment of extraterrestrial footholds. Experts have identified 17,000 asteroids which can be exploited for resources’ extraction, with one estimate putting the size of the space industry at $2.7tn per year by 2050.
HCSS provides insights, knowledge and answers to space related safety and security issues for the world, for Europe and for the Netherlands.
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paula@hcss-site2009-03-01 11:00:002024-05-28 14:32:31Future Issue: Space-Based WarfareEver-more advanced technology has brought outer space increasingly in humanity’s reach. Interest in space has not only been scientific and economic, however, but also geopolitical. The Netherlands is a small country – but it is nonetheless well-positioned to benefit from these developments. Satellites are key to the Netherlands’ military capabilities. Several strategic processes, from the execution of beyond line of sight (BLOS) operations to nuclear deterrence, are dependent on satellites.
Currently, space’s value is primarily derived from satellites orbiting Earth. A 2019 study found that 87.5% of the $277bn in revenues generated in space could be attributed to commercial satellite services. These services are of critical importance to the functioning of the (inter)national economy. Positioning, timing, and navigation (PNT), communications, and Earth observation services form the backbone of many essential processes, such as fleet management or bank transactions.
In the longer term, space is also likely to play a role in the global energy transition. For example, the rare earth elements (REEs) contained in celestial bodies are in increasingly limited supply on Earth and are required for many renewable technologies. For the Netherlands, involvement in these issues is essential for the energy transition, and for a continued economic growth. Well-managed, commercially proactive, and internationally regulated initiatives to unlock and safeguard the space domain’s huge potential could contribute to European strategic autonomy. Badly managed initiatives could see an intensification of interstate competition and the deterioration of public services resulting in dire economic consequences.
