The political, economic and environmental importance of outer space is increasing. Growing numbers of satellites form the backbone of global telecommunications; space resources, from lunar ice to metal deposits in asteroids, are becoming objects of intense political and economic interest; space tourism offers new leisures for the ultra-rich; and the surging amount of trash that orbits Earth has become the first extraterrestrial environmental problem. These and other developments are all connected to the transnationalization of outer space, meaning the emergence of private actors (such as SpaceX, Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic) and of transnational global governance arrangements. Our goal is to provide a robust empirical, theoretical and normative analysis of the transnationalization of outer space. In doing so, we pursue
three objectives. First, using social network analysis and case-based methods, we produce empirical analyses of transnationalization in three key areas: a) the social structure of United Nations space governance; b) the global satellite industry; and c) the adoption and diffusion of technical standards and regulations on space trash. Second, we theorize the linkages between transnationalization and state power. Against
the background of a new “space race” between the United States, China and (partially) Russia, we draw on discussions on transnational governance, private authority and related issues to develop a theoretical understanding of whether, and how, transnationalization either complements or displaces the political power of nation states. Third, we elaborate policy recommendations for the fair and effective
multilateral governance of outer space in the context of transnationalization: as technological capacities for access and drawing benefits from outer space are distributed unevenly, there is an urgent need to find global solutions that sufficiently take into account the interests of societies with limited, or no, spaceflight capacities.
Project funding:
Projects funded by the Research Council of Lithuania (RCL), Projects carried out by researchers’ teams
Period of project implementation: 2023-04-01 - 2026-03-31
Project coordinator: Kaunas University of Technology
