The Use of Orbital Systems in the Russia-Ukraine War. Between Militarization and Commercialization of Outer Space

Abstract

Russian aggression against Ukraine has significantly influenced many areas of international security. This influence did not bypass outer space, triggering certain trends related to its militarization. The paper deals with the nature of these tendencies and their transformation into the space militarization’s directions. Particular attention was paid to the interdependence of the militarization and commercialization of space.

The key conclusion is the confirmation of the tendency – and to some extent even giving it an additional impulse – to incorporate solutions from the commercial sector into the process of space militarization. This phenomenon takes many forms, from the direct use of commercial systems for military purposes to the development of military systems inspired by solutions from the commercial market. On a general level, this leads to transformations in the perception of the concept of space power, in which commercial activity is not only a contribution to building the economic position of the state, but also becomes an element of the national security system.