Conclusion
Taking into consideration the anticipated developments in space over the short- to medium-term, it is clear that there are opportunities for increased cooperation between the EU and the US in SSA and that such collaboration is needed. The EU has publicly noted its intention to act as a leader in promoting the responsible use of space, for example through its proposal of an International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities.36 Cooperation mechanisms between the US and the EU would not only improve the individual SSA capabilities of each and the global effort but also act as a blueprint for cooperation with other partners, such as the Five Eyes community, Japan and India.
Cooperation is also essential when considering the possibility that SSA capabilities, rather than space assets, could become a target of adversarial action with the aim of decreasing a state or operator’s ability to track objects or otherwise affect their knowledge in such a way as to put their assets in danger. For example, it is possible that that an adversary of the US would target its SSA capabilities to gain an advantage by ‘blinding’ the US to what is happening in orbit. International cooperation in SSA among global partners, which could provide orbital information if it is lost by one partner, would add a layer of resilience to SSA capabilities.
There are obvious challenges to EU–US SSA integration. The first is the issue of secrecy. In this area Europe and the US may not be as far apart as might be initially thought as most state space actors have some military aspect within their capabilities. The key will be to find ways to encourage cooperation in the commercial and civil spheres while allowing individual states to operate and monitor their classified assets as they see fit – sharing what information they are willing to and able to depend upon the military or civilian nature of future EU member state tracking capabilities. As already described, changes within the US government’s SSA policy may provide the best mechanism for such activity to move forward. Secondly, the US always wants to be the leader in everything in the space domain rather than be an equal partner. This is becoming even more obvious through the rhetoric of many US military and government leaders, with talk of the need to dominate and lead in space as a reaction to the activities and perceived threats of Russia and China. Therefore, the EU needs to prove its value as a partner in space and advocate for international cooperation as the best way for both parties to achieve state goals and maintain the stability of orbit. Finally, it is important for there to be a cohesive understanding of how EU SSA programmes will cooperate both with member states and with ESA.
The EU needs to increase its capabilities, either through activities that plug existing gaps or through using its geographical situation to augment the activities of other states. This approach will provide it with a platform to become a leading player in this regard and prove it can add value to the global SSA effort. The US will then see it as an indispensable partner in ensuring the sustainability of the near-Earth environment over the coming decades.
36 European External Action Service (2014), ‘EU Proposal for an international Space Code of Conduct, Draft’, 31 March 2014,
https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/14715/eu-proposal-international-space-code-conduct-draft_en (accessed 18 May 2019).