Corporate Space Power: Unveiling Structural and Infrastructural Power in New Space Networks

Dr. Marieluna Frank

doi:10.5771/9783748970262

Summary

The book challenges the narrative of a democratized “New Space” era by showing how the global space landscape is shaped by entrenched and exacerbated power asymmetries. Using a structural lens on power, it reveals a select club of corporate actors – based in the Global North and rooted in the miliary-defense sector – that continues to dominate space governance. Instead of democratizing space, the commercialization of the earth orbits has exacerbated power asymmetries, allowing established players to shape favorable environmentalities through networks of membership and sponsorship. By demonstrating that “New Space” is, in essence, “Old Powers,” the book offers a critical rethinking of space governance.

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2026
Copyright year: 2026
ISBN-Print: 978-3-7560-4014-8
ISBN-Online: 978-3-7489-7026-2
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Series: Governance, Sicherheit und Nachhaltigkeit im Weltraum | Governance, Security and Sustainability in Space
Volume: 1
Language: English
Pages: 226
Product type: Book Titles

1. Widmung No access
2. FIGURES No access
3. ABBREVIATIONS No access
4. 1. ENGLISH ABSTRACT No access
  2. DEUTSCHES ABSTRACT No access
1. Commercialization and Corporate Power in the Earth Orbits No access Pages 23 - 32
2. Mapping the (Space) Research Landscape: Global Commons, Space Governance, and Power No access Pages 33 - 46
1. From State Power in the Global Commons to Corporate Space Power No access
2. The Scene: Earth Orbits as a Global Commons No access
3. Research Pragmatism – A Call for Simplification No access
4. Spatiality – A Call to Thoroughly Construct Spaces No access
5. Dependence – Understanding Different Degrees of Dependence No access
1. Structural Power No access
2. Integrating Structural Power with a Network Perspective No access
3. Infrastructural Power No access
4. Integrating the Three Facets of Corporate Space Power No access
1. 1. Sponsorship No access
  2. Shared Membership No access
  3. Network Analytical Measures No access
2. 5.2. Infrastructural Power: Corporate Space Power's Hidden Arm No access
3. 5.3. Data Collection: Building a Space Actor Inventory No access
1. 6.1. Space Actor Inventory: Descriptives No access
2. 1. Structural Prominence: Information Disseminators and Agenda Setters No access
  2. “Membering” Space Actors: Access to a Web of Influence No access
3. 1. The Club of the Clubs: Integrating Membership and Sponsorship No access
7. The Old Core: “Too-connected-to-fail Space Actors”? No access Pages 151 - 156
1. 1. Territorial Reach No access
  2. Effects | Competition No access
  3. Effects | (Inter-) Dependencies and Power No access
  4. Integrating corporate infrastructural power | Capabilities, Reach, Effects No access
9. Synthesis: When Old Space Refuses to Fade No access Pages 175 - 182
10. Outlook No access Pages 183 - 186
BIBLIOGRAPHY No access Pages 187 - 216
1. A. Anonymized list of interviews No access
2. 1. Research project: The role of non-state actors in earth orbits governance No access
3. C. Semi-Structured Interview Guide No access
4. D. Ethic Commission Authorization of Interviews No access
5. 1. What is a “space actor”? No access
  2. Geographical boundaries No access
  3. Country No access
  4. Excluded from the Population No access
  5. Year of Creation No access
  6. Type of Actor No access
  7. Category of Actor No access
  8. Sector Specification No access
  9. Membership and Sponsorship No access
  10. Time frame No access
  11. Coding Rules No access