📋 Tender Overview
A dossier from the Parliamentary Directorate deals with the increasingly important space policy. Which countries are leading the way, what role do private companies play? And where does Austria fit in?
Colliding satellites, space debris and parts falling to Earth that could cause major environmental damage: the global reach for the stars also brings problems with it. 70 countries are currently active in space. In addition, there are private companies that not only perform state tasks but also pursue economic interests. Never before have there been so many satellites in Earth's orbit as today.
They have become an indispensable part of our everyday lives. Navigation systems, weather forecasts and climate change predictions run on them. Starlink's satellites have been supplying Ukraine with internet since the Russian attack, which has made a significant contribution to Ukraine's defense.
Economy, Research & Sustainability
Austria has primarily economic and scientific interests in this area. Domestic companies and research institutions are to be strengthened in key technologies. In Austria's Space Strategy 2030+, it was also determined in 2021 that one goal is to anchor more sustainability on Earth and in space.
Before Austria could launch satellites into space, parliament had to pass a number of laws. In 2011, the Federal Law on the Authorization of Space Activities was therefore passed unanimously and a space register was introduced. The first two Austrian satellites were launched in 2013 and most recently a company from Graz University of Technology sent a satellite into space to measure the Earth's ice cover.
beginnings of space use
The so-called "Space Race" began after World War II as an ideological conflict between the USA and the Soviet Union. The USA wanted to show that capitalism was superior to communism; the Soviet Union wanted to prove the opposite.
The technological milestones were not long in coming: in 1957, the Soviet Union sent Sputnik 1, the first satellite, into Earth orbit, and just 12 years later, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon.
Austria's future role
Alongside the progress, the challenges are also becoming increasingly apparent. There are no binding and comprehensive rules for the use of space, although military activities in Earth orbit are becoming increasingly important. Austria could play an important role in resolving these issues: the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs has been based in Vienna since 1993. 102 member states meet annually to promote peaceful cooperation in space.
