The Commercialisation of Space: Politics, Economics and Ethics

This interdisciplinary book examines the impact of the commercialisation of space and the changing outlook of the space sector.

Using a framework based around theories of international political economy (IPE), the chapters take on issues relating to the politics, the economics and the ethics of commercialising space. The book aims to build a bridge between the research carried out on European Space Policy and the issues that are currently pertinent in the global discussion of future space policy. Overall, the volume aims to:

• inform the reader about historical and contemporary developments in the neoliberal commercialisation of space
• assess the impact of the commercialisation of space on European space institutions, European space policy and European space culture
• raise ethical questions about the environmental and practical sustainability of the commercialisation of space
• examine the compatibility of the commercialisation of space with international, EU and national law.

This book will be of much interest to students of space policy, global governance, European politics and International Relations.

Sarah Liebermann is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Canterbury Christ Church University in Canterbury, UK, and Research Fellow at the EU*Asia Institute at ESSCA School of Management.

Harald Köpping Athanasopoulos is Senior Consultant of Strategic Foresight at 2b AHEAD Think Tank in Leipzig, Germany and Research Fellow at the EU*Asia Institute at ESSCA School of Management.

Thomas Hoerber is Professor for European Studies, Director of the EU*Asia Institute and Head of the Department of International Affairs at ESSCA School of Management. His last related publication was The Routledge Handbook of European Integrations, Routledge, London, 2022.