Sustainability, Security and Resilience: The Next Space

Space exploration and utilization are entering a new era. Humanity is crossing a new frontier. Easier access to orbit, the growing presence of commercial players, the rapid expansion of the space economy, the current geopolitical situation, are transforming how humans conceive of activities beyond Earth’s atmosphere. It’s no longer just Low Earth orbit (LEO) that is being populated with satellites, sensors and complex but vital space infrastructures. The entire space economy is experiencing unprecedented growth.

From global communications to defense, from Earth observation to navigation, from ISS to cislunar, Moon and beyond, space has become an invisible yet essential action domain. 

Thus, the urgency to be able not only to access and observe space from and to Earth, but also to act, build and, in some cases, react, in space. 

And yet, as opportunities multiply, so do vulnerabilities and needs for regulations, coordination and key collaborations.

As a consequence, sustainability, security, and resilience are no longer desirable values: they are essential conditions for the survival of “Next Space” and strategic pillars for space enterprises, governments, and international organizations.

Next Space, a paradigm shift

In this context, "Next Space" is not just a technological evolution, it is a paradigm shift. It is about building a space ecosystem that can endure over time, that is protected from growing threats, and that can adapt to unexpected events, both natural and/or artificial.

Similarly, space is no longer just a scientific or applications endeavor or the business of a few superpowers. It has become fertile ground for bold startups, billion-dollar private investments, and “a new geopolitics encompassing Low Earth Orbit, cislunar space, the Moon, Mars, and even near-Earth objects (NEOs)

“Next Space” will not be defined solely by the technologies we deploy, but by the systemic choices we make today:  

What kind of presence humans want to build around and beyond Earth? 

How we regulate access to orbit?

How we build efficient infrastructures?

How we protect space assets?

How we fairly distribute the benefits of the use of space and the “outcome” of space economy?

How we spread key scientific data to facilitate knowledge and protection/preservation of Earth? How we extend this to the Moon, NEO and Mars?

How we make requirements about living together from many and quite different perspectives: institutional, commercial, scientific, inspirational, military?

How we inspire young talents and inform the worldwide population?

If we happen to break the taboo of the Peaceful use of Outer Space? 

At stake is not just the future of the space industry, but the quality of our future as an interconnected civilization, on this planet and beyond.

Sustainability: beyond Earth, also in orbit

Space is still frequently an invisible dimension of everyday life. Without realizing it, most people benefit from the services of over 100 satellites daily, from navigation and weather forecasts to communication and financial transactions. Yet, as space activity intensifies, so too do the challenges of ensuring its long-term viability. 

Space sustainability, on Earth through space, but also in/on orbit and from space to Earth, is no longer optional; it is an obligation that encompasses environmental, economic, political, and ethical dimensions. 

Earth’s orbit is increasingly congested. Today, there are over 11,000 active satellites and more than 40,000 trackable debris objects, the remnants of launches, mission failures, and collisions, with an estimated 140 million pieces smaller than 1 cm. These fragments, traveling at speeds above 28,000 km/h, pose serious threats to access space and to orbiting vital infrastructure.

The rise of mega-constellations has clearly revolutionized connectivity, yet the low cost and speed of satellite deployment risk market saturation and unfair competition. Smaller or emerging space actors may be pushed out, and the lack of clear global regulations creates an environment where commercial success could come at the cost of long-term sustainability.

While the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 proclaims that space is the province of all mankind, it lacks binding enforcement, and existing voluntary declarations remain weak. New frameworks and regulatory mechanisms are needed to ensure transparency, safety, and fair access to orbital resources. Governments, space agencies, and private actors must work together to harmonize standards and promote responsible behavior. The current geopolitical situation unfortunately adds complexity to the overall system.

Beyond orbit, the environmental impact of launch operations and manufacturing activities must also be addressed. The space industry is beginning to adopt greener technologies, including reusable launch vehicles, non-toxic propellants, and recyclable materials. At the same time, satellites and other space-based infrastructure provide critical support for climate monitoring, disaster response, agriculture, water management, and sustainable urban planning. These contributions directly support global development efforts and demonstrate how space can be a driver of positive change on Earth.

Looking forward, the space economy is evolving to include in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing capabilities that extend satellite lifespans, reduce launch needs, and enable the building of complex orbital structures. This reduces waste, lowers costs, and enhances mission flexibility. 

As human activity extends to the Moon and Mars, the responsible use of space resources, the preservation of planetary environments and the legal regulations of responsibilities and properties become vital. The industry is exploring ways to extract and use extraterrestrial materials without repeating the mistakes made on Earth. Ethical planetary protection and better tracking of spacecraft and debris are also gaining importance. These developments signal a shift from short-term missions to a lasting and responsible presence in space.

Ultimately, space sustainability must become a core value across the entire space sector. This means integrating sustainable practices into every phase of activity, from mission design and manufacturing to operations and decommissioning. It requires collaboration between nations, companies, and international organizations to ensure that space remains a safe, equitable, and accessible domain. 

But sustainability shall also be financial. While technological innovation and regulatory frameworks play critical roles in achieving environmental sustainability, financial sustainability is the linchpin that ensures these efforts are viable, scalable, and enduring. It is the must that allows space industries to innovate, create added value and effectively operate.

As with other industries facing sustainability challenges, progress will require long-term commitment, stable regulations, and shared responsibility. But the stakes are clear: ensuring the future of space means preserving its potential to benefit life on Earth and beyond.

Security: a vulnerable orbital infrastructure and a new action domain

Security, meanwhile, is becoming an increasingly complex concept. It's not just about protecting satellites from cyberattacks or physical interference, but also about ensuring the reliability of critical infrastructure on which civilian, military, and commercial services depend. Space has become an extension of the digital network: the security of communications, navigation, and satellite observation relies on the integrity of the systems orbiting above our heads. And as political balances grow more unstable, orbits themselves become contested, often opaque, rarely regulated.

In 2022, a satellite was targeted by a cyberattack just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This incident, unfortunately not isolated, offered concrete proof that space has become an integral part of national and global security. Satellites are no longer just tools for observation or communication, they are strategic nodes in a vast, interconnected network. A malfunction or attack in orbit can disrupt terrestrial infrastructure, from transportation to finance, to disaster response systems.

The United States has issued Space Policy Directive-5, providing guidelines for space cybersecurity. Europe, with its EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence (2023), emphasized the need to protect orbital assets and ensure the continent’s strategic autonomy. But the race toward the militarization of space is already underway: China, the U.S., Russia, and India have all tested or threatened anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities. Europe is preparing for the same globally and at Member State levels. European governments are coordinating with their space agencies. The absence of a modern treaty banning weapons in space leaves room for alarming scenarios.

This isn’t just a problem for governments. Private companies must also face these realities. Commercial missions need protection against interference, spoofing, cyberattacks, and collision risks, while attempting to preserve their global competitiveness. In a context where commercial satellites provide highly sensitive data, from ship movements to agricultural conditions, space security becomes a matter of data governance and digital sovereignty.

Resilience: enduring change, evolving through complexity

Resilience, finally, is what separates short-term strategies from long-term vision. Launching a satellite is not enough: we must design systems that can adapt, that can withstand failures, attacks, climate disruptions, or regulatory shifts. Resilience is indeed technological, with modular, upgradable, autonomous platforms, but it is also economic: it means building flexible business models capable of weathering financial crises or market fluctuations. And it has a political dimension, perhaps the most delicate: building alliances, promoting shared standards, and developing global space governance not based on power, but on cooperation.

Resilience allows systems to withstand stress and, more importantly, to adapt and evolve. In space, this translates into modular technologies, distributed architectures, and operational redundancy. 

New CubeSats, for example, enable surveillance and communications to be distributed across thousands of small units, reducing vulnerability to single points of failure. But resilience is also a system-level strategy.

NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and build a lunar space station (Gateway), was conceived as an example of resilience as international partnership, open standards, sharing of data, and operational flexibility. Similarly, the African Space Agency and the UN’s Skylight project for satellite-based humanitarian monitoring show that resilience means global inclusion: we cannot build a sustainable space ecosystem by leaving half the planet behind.

Resilience is also economic. Space investments, which reached over $500 billion in 2023, according to the Space Foundation, are exposed to geopolitical volatility, technological failures, and regulatory shifts. New tools are needed: patient capital, public guarantee funds, and incentives that support innovation without crowding out smaller actors. The future space economy must not only shine in times of growth, but it must also be built to weather crises.

What about talent?

In this evolving Next Space, shaped by the imperatives of sustainability, security, and resilience, many resources are needed, but one resource is more vital than any other: talent. As new technologies emerge and the demand for orbital infrastructure grows, the ability to inspire, attract, educate, and retain highly skilled individuals becomes a strategic priority. This is not just a question of workforce planning; it is about cultivating the next generation of thinkers, engineers, policymakers, and leaders capable of navigating a sector that is increasingly complex, interdisciplinary, and global. We need diverse and inclusive pipelines that encourage young people to see themselves in space-related roles. Moreover, retention requires more than salaries or mission success: it demands purpose, flexibility, and lifelong learning opportunities in environments where personal growth and technical excellence go hand in hand. 

In this Next Space era, talent is not a byproduct of investment, it is its very foundation, it is the future.

Conclusion: a shared vision for the space ahead

“Next Space” won’t be shaped by a single nation, a single technology, or a single corporation. It will emerge from collective choices that weave together science, innovation, economics, politics, and culture. 

Sustainability, security, and resilience are not isolated priorities, they are guiding principles for a human presence in space that seeks not merely to “conquer,” but to inhabit, protect, and share.

Building this future demands responsible leadership, multilateral governance, and distributed innovation. 

It also calls for bold, long-term investment in talent, to inspire, educate, and empower the people who will imagine, design, and lead this new era. Above all, it requires a new ethics of space-making, one grounded not only in technological progress, but in justice, cooperation, and responsibility toward future generations.

Next Space: For a space that not only conquers but inhabits.