Institutional organization of the European space program: Ensuring the security of the Union

Abstract

This dissertation is looking into the question of what would be the optimal institutional organizational structure of the European space programme with regard to the EU member states' security. To do so this dissertation is defining the realities of today's space domain as contested and congested, thus there is a need to be prepared for new security challenges. This is to be done under the theoretical framework of strategic autonomy. This dissertation operates with official documents of the EU and ESA that are defining the current organizational structure, their relationships, as well as organizational structure of the two European space flagship, projects Galileo and Secure Connectivity. Together with data collected through anonymous interviews with European space security experts this dissertation through thematic analysis defines four key areas that need to be improved in order to increase the member states' security and provides relevant recommendations. The areas to be improved are those of internal convergence on the basic topics, defining new industrial space policy, building domestic capacities, and improving the external messaging. Keywords: Space programme, European Union, European Space Agency, Strategic Autonomy