Open AccessThe European Space Agency and the European Union: The Next Step on the Road to the Stars
Author(s) -
Thomas Hoerber
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of contemporary european research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.299
H-Index - 15
ISSN - 1815-347X
DOI - 10.30950/jcer.v5i3.133
Subject(s) - european union , space (punctuation) , agency (philosophy) , european integration , position (finance) , political science , process (computing) , politics , international trade , business , sociology , law , computer science , social science , finance , operating system
Given the outlook, the main questions considered in this article are whether a European position on a genuine common space policy is developing. If so, why is this happening now?; and what kind of potentials do these developments hold for the European integration process as a whole? This article will approach these questions through an analysis of past European collaboration in space affairs. It will describe the recent process of closer involvement between European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union (EU). It will identify the motivations underlying this process. It will also try to gauge the strategic potential of an intensification of the coordination of national space efforts in ESA and the involvement of the EU. In the conclusion, the ever closer relationship between the EU and ESA will be considered against the larger picture of European politics and the ongoing process of European integration