Outer Space has long become an ‘embattled’ realm: New space-based technologies - whether civil or military - expand the range of ‘capabilities’ not only of states but also of private ‘New Space’ titans (Bezos, Musk, Branson) who gain unprecedented influence on societies, economies and world politics. This state and non-state competition for technological, economic, and political supremacy will be our topic, since: whoever controls space, also dominates the Earth.

The course will cover (inter alia):

• ‘Orbital Minefield’: fundamental changes / risks in space utilization
• ‘New Space’: infinite economic opportunities?
  • European / German space industry (incl. Bavaria/ Augsburg)
• Who does outer space belong to? / governance gap
• Current inter-/national space programs & space policies (USA/ Russia/ China/ India/ Europe/ Africa…)
  • ‘Moon struck’: Moon programs (e.g. Artemis) in the context of globalization, democratization and New Space / ‘Lunar gold rush’?: Moon mining/ exploitation of moon resources
  • Cislunar space: Space stations (ISS/ ‘Tiangong’ /’Gateway’)
• Strategic Space: Security policies / ‘weaponization’?
  

! Course open to all faculties & international students !

After completion of this course students will

• get to know a new rapidly evolving economic field of international cooperation
• be able to explain the fundamental change in the multifaceted civil & strategic utilization of outer space and to evaluate its effects on states, societies and international relations
• recognize the utmost significance of outer space for international competitiveness of national economies & political systems
• develop a deeper insight in technological, economic and political challenges arising from ‘New Space’ and the militarization of outer space
• be well acquainted with the main actors and power blocks and their geopolitical ambitions in outer space
• have an appropriate knowledge of the international/ European/ German space industries and their relevance for sustainable economic development
• be encouraged to train their skills for media literacy: by having a critical & analytical glance at the media preparation of political/ economic issues, finding fact-based sources and verifying information

Literature: Publications, articles and blogs (think tanks, scientific journals, newspapers) & videos. Some material will be made available in Moodle, but Moodle will NOT cover the full content of the course!

Präsenszeit: 26-30 UE
Selbststudium: 50 UE

Gesamtaufwand: 74 UE

1 UE (Unterrichtseinheit) = 45 Minuten