security and artificial intelligence,
27
which are essential for exercising full technological and political power into the future. Space exploration in particular will
assume an increasingly strategic role in Moscow policy. The Russian National
Security Policy
28
published in 2015, confirms the strategy to develop a powerful
military space capability combined with global diplomatic activity. In light of this,
the government has drastically reformed the space agency Roscosmos. The agency
had lost technical credibility due to a series of failures heavily criticised by Putin
himself.
29
The President signed in 2016 a decree formally dissolving Roscosmos
and transferring its responsibilities over to a new state-run corporation controlled
by the Prime Minister,
30
in an effort to restore reliability and oversee the aerospace
industry for defence and national security.
Russia is reinforcing its fleet of launchers and satellites to support its global
geopolitical strategy – westward, to regain power and influence in Europe; eastward, to face China; southward to influence Arab and Iranian ambitions; and
finally northward to compete in the Arctic regions
31
with the Americans and
Chinese
32
over some of the most strategic territories in the world, rich in oil and
gas and located at the crossroads between the two terrestrial hemispheres.
Conscious of the satellite gap with the US, Russia is developing new antisatellite weapons,
33
as will be illustrated in the following chapters of this book, to
assure mutual deterrence and to strengthen its influence on China and Europe.
To better understand Russia’s ambitions, it is essential to analyse its recent history. Post-WWII, the European countries – after fighting each other for centuries –
began to rebuild themselves. They sought a model of integration that had failed
previously. Under the NATO military umbrella, France, West Germany, Belgium,
Holland, Luxembourg and Italy signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957
34
to forge an
27
http://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-putin-talks-ruling-world-future-wars-and-lifemars-658579.
28
Full text available in Russian on the Russian Security Council’s website. http://www.scrf.gov.
ru/documents/1/133.html. Adopted on 31 Dec 2015.
29
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/27/vladimir-putin-slams-repeated-russian-spacefailures-after-delay/.
30
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/russia-scraps-space-agency-state-run-corporation-180957656/.
31
La faglia artica fra Russia e Stati Uniti. http://www.limesonline.com/la-faglia-articafra-russia-e-stati-uniti/103976
32
China’s Artic Policy. http://www.scio.gov.cn/zfbps/32832/Document/1618243/1618243.
htm.
33
US National Intelligence. 2018. Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence
Community, 13.
34
http://www.governo.it/approfondimento/i-trattati-di-roma/6761.
Technopolitics of Space Between History and Realpolitik 73
27
which are essential for exercising full technological and political power into the future. Space exploration in particular will
assume an increasingly strategic role in Moscow policy. The Russian National
Security Policy
28
published in 2015, confirms the strategy to develop a powerful
military space capability combined with global diplomatic activity. In light of this,
the government has drastically reformed the space agency Roscosmos. The agency
had lost technical credibility due to a series of failures heavily criticised by Putin
himself.
29
The President signed in 2016 a decree formally dissolving Roscosmos
and transferring its responsibilities over to a new state-run corporation controlled
by the Prime Minister,
30
in an effort to restore reliability and oversee the aerospace
industry for defence and national security.
Russia is reinforcing its fleet of launchers and satellites to support its global
geopolitical strategy – westward, to regain power and influence in Europe; eastward, to face China; southward to influence Arab and Iranian ambitions; and
finally northward to compete in the Arctic regions
31
with the Americans and
Chinese
32
over some of the most strategic territories in the world, rich in oil and
gas and located at the crossroads between the two terrestrial hemispheres.
Conscious of the satellite gap with the US, Russia is developing new antisatellite weapons,
33
as will be illustrated in the following chapters of this book, to
assure mutual deterrence and to strengthen its influence on China and Europe.
To better understand Russia’s ambitions, it is essential to analyse its recent history. Post-WWII, the European countries – after fighting each other for centuries –
began to rebuild themselves. They sought a model of integration that had failed
previously. Under the NATO military umbrella, France, West Germany, Belgium,
Holland, Luxembourg and Italy signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957
34
to forge an
27
http://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-putin-talks-ruling-world-future-wars-and-lifemars-658579.
28
Full text available in Russian on the Russian Security Council’s website. http://www.scrf.gov.
ru/documents/1/133.html. Adopted on 31 Dec 2015.
29
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/27/vladimir-putin-slams-repeated-russian-spacefailures-after-delay/.
30
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/russia-scraps-space-agency-state-run-corporation-180957656/.
31
La faglia artica fra Russia e Stati Uniti. http://www.limesonline.com/la-faglia-articafra-russia-e-stati-uniti/103976
32
China’s Artic Policy. http://www.scio.gov.cn/zfbps/32832/Document/1618243/1618243.
htm.
33
US National Intelligence. 2018. Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence
Community, 13.
34
http://www.governo.it/approfondimento/i-trattati-di-roma/6761.
Technopolitics of Space Between History and Realpolitik 73