Sovereignty and new governance: The government’s vision for space

In the executive’s guidelines, the priorities and prospects for the space economy, which intertwines with national defense and security. A document that has the merit of highlighting the sector’s priorities (and identifying SMEs as its backbone).

BY EMILIO COZZI

At the end of last year, the Italian government published guidelines on space and aerospace matters, a document outlining the directives for Italy’s near future in a crucial sector. It highlights the need to reform governance and regulation, as technological innovation and economic growth are two fundamental points, whose role as a “fundamental pillar for security” must be increasingly urgently recognized.

The plan was developed by the Interministerial Committee for Space and Aerospace Research Policies (Comint), with a significant role assigned to the Italian Space Agency (ASI), tasked with implementing the outlined operational proposals. The goal is to strengthen Italian sovereignty, enhance excellence, and maintain national leadership in the competencies that have made Italy an international player over the decades.

Military Space as a Driver of Development

Among the first chapters, the role of infrastructure, data, and access to space in security and within a conflict or more broadly military scenario is clearly highlighted. Reference is made to NATO, which has recognized space as the fifth operational domain. Consequently, while strategic infrastructure positioned in space serves to provide a privileged position in terms of surveillance and defense, protecting it from hostile actions becomes a priority. In other words, the militarization of space is increasingly discussed and rightfully so.

The global competition is evident, with countries that were once excluded but are no longer marginal now entering the arena. India, certainly, and above all China, which can firmly be considered the true second space power after the United States.

National security, in short, is a driver of development. This is nothing new: many innovations that support much of our activities and civilian well-being stem from military technologies. In this case, the approach is centered on national interests and the Italian ecosystem. This is worth emphasizing: without cooperation among states that know how to integrate their technologies, space exploration except for the United States and China remains a distant goal.

Sovereign Space

The government’s approach, however, leans much more towards a “sovereignist” direction as it places great emphasis on national “primacy” over cooperation, starting with the legislative framework. It states: “Efficiently reforming the national governance of the Space sector to adapt it to the changing international geopolitical and industrial context. In this regard, the initiative to develop a national space law is welcome.” This legislation, in addition to facilitating access to the space economy, should address topics such as “relations between the government and space operators, the clear assignment of certification and authorization responsibilities for industrial operators, the legal framework related to space access, the economic exploitation of space resources, special procurement measures to promote the broadest and most open participation of economic operators, particularly start ups, new players, and SMEs, and the protection of national security.” This is the purpose of the Space Bill, introduced last year and currently under parliamentary review. However, several critical issues should not be overlooked. Some, such as the National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), see the bill as excessively bureaucratic, adding to the stripping of regulatory responsibilities particularly regarding suborbital flights and creating a potential conflict of interest for the Italian Space Agency (ASI) which would suddenly find itself in the dual role of regulator and regulated entity, funder and funded institution. These are points that will be revisited in an article in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, the focus remains on the concept of sectoral sovereignty. In 16 pages, the terms “autonomy,” “sovereign,” and “national sovereignty” appear over 70 times (“national” alone appears more than 60 times). In short, the government is fully aware of the added value that space technology and data can bring to knowledge and the economy in terms of combating climate change, territorial monitoring, and emerging business opportunities driven by the ingenuity of start ups and SMEs. There is also discussion about the need to define a “national space access requirement, taking into account the opportunities offered by the Malindi base also in relation to the Mattei Plan for Africa.”

A central topic in recent public debate, satellite communication constellations such as Starlink, is once again framed in terms of national security, resilience, and sovereignty. Although it is not explicitly stated whether Italy should build its own satellite constellation, the publication of the policy guidelines coincided with ASI being commissioned to conduct a preliminary feasibility study on such an infrastructure.

Italy as an International Leader

Everything is included and it is indeed a lot. There is talk of new applications and business opportunities such as in orbit servicing, satellite traffic and debris surveillance (space situational awareness) with a necessary reference to the sustainability of space and orbital activities. Both human and robotic exploration are mentioned along with multiple references to the need for space access, though without clearly defining its contours. This is a crucial issue as Italy possesses launch vehicle technology (Vega C) and Avio now has full freedom to commercialize it.

There is also a call to intensify “international cooperation both multilaterally with organizations such as the Eu, Esa, and the Un and bilaterally with key global and European players” a point particularly bilateral collaborations that the author considers of great importance. The ambition is to establish European leadership in Esa and Eu programs fostering synergies between the European Union and the European Space Agency to support the competitiveness of the national industry. There is a strong emphasis on maintaining close cooperation with the United States particularly in advancing activities under the Artemis Accords for lunar exploration. Additionally, there is a push to strengthen space diplomacy towards emerging countries such as India, the Gulf States, Latin America, and Africa where the Mattei Plan aims to lay the foundations for building a structured ecosystem that will enable partner countries to reach beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

In the realm of space diplomacy, the document mentions “priority countries defined by the Comint,” a phrase that remains cryptic for now. There will always be preferred foreign interlocutors but the current geopolitical landscape where Europe’s and Italy’s most reliable partner the United States is shifting towards a more sovereignist stance could necessitate reinforcing continental synergies and alliances.

Research and Training for the Space Economy

There are two particularly significant points. The first is the attention given to supporting small and medium enterprises through private equity instruments, a focus that if realized could strengthen the true backbone of the industrial ecosystem. The second is the emphasis on enhancing the skills necessary for the space economy, including both basic and applied research in universities and research centers as long as it is effectively implemented. Budget cuts to research have unfortunately been a recurring issue across multiple governments.

One of the most interesting steps involves the creation of an innovative and comprehensive advanced training plan covering space related disciplines to develop a class of talents destined to take on key roles in institutions both national and international, academia, and industry.

These efforts will also provide valuable know how in the fight against climate change and the mitigation of its consequences. This too is part of the space economy in terms of its intended impact, investing ten today to avoid spending a thousand tomorrow. This issue must take center stage and more importantly be addressed collectively by countries that will inevitably need to diverge from the policies of the new US administration which is determined to prioritize other areas over emission reduction efforts and climate studies even from satellites.

In this domain, Europe already holds an undisputed leadership position thanks to the Copernicus program and partnerships with other public and private Earth observation constellations. Given Washington’s inconsistent approach as seen during the last two presidencies it would be wise to accelerate progress in this area.