Private Actors in Orbit: Structural Power in der Commanding Heights of Space

with Dr. Marieluna Frank, IQIB – Institut für qualifizierende Innovationsforschung und -beratung GmbH

This event explores the role of private actors in key space infrastructure, and the emergence of new forms of structural power as a result. The focus is on companies that gain economic significance and can create political and societal dependencies by launching satellite networks, capabilities, data infrastructures or other strategically relevant systems. The discussion will explore how private space infrastructure becomes a resource for power politics, the consequences for states’ scope for action, and the challenges this poses for governance, regulation, and the international order. This event is intended for anyone interested in the relationship between space travel, power and private-sector infrastructure.