IREb2034 Space Security: Between strategic domain and capitalist sanctuary

Fakulta sociálních studií
jaro 2025
Rozsah
1/1. 4 kr. Ukončení: zk.
Vyučující
Mgr. Nikola Schmidt, Ph.D. (přednášející)
Garance
Mgr. Martin Chovančík, Ph.D.
Katedra mezinárodních vztahů a evropských studií – Fakulta sociálních studií
Dodavatelské pracoviště: Katedra mezinárodních vztahů a evropských studií – Fakulta sociálních studií
Omezení zápisu do předmětu
Předmět je nabízen i studentům mimo mateřské obory.
Předmět si smí zapsat nejvýše 30 stud.
Momentální stav registrace a zápisu: zapsáno: 0/30, pouze zareg.: 0/30, pouze zareg. s předností (mateřské obory): 0/30
Mateřské obory/plány
Cíle předmětu
The course will provide an in-depth exploration of space security from the national security perspective, starting with an overview of outer space's unique physical characteristics and how they differ from planetary territories from a strategic perspective. It will delve into four theoretical perspectives on space security and their implications for governance at various levels. The course will also cover international space law, focusing on the five main treaties and emerging non-binding instruments. Additionally, it will address the management of space territories such as the Artemis Accords, the distinction between militarization and weaponization of space, and the evolving role of private entities in space operations. The course will conclude with discussions on natural space security threats, the impact of commercial space activities, and the future of space governance.
Výstupy z učení
The course aims to acquaint students with fundamental space security principles and threats to national security while demonstrating how space can influence national politics due to the increasing reliance on space infrastructure. Space hazards play a crucial role in space governance because they represent global challenges that would be ideally any planetary authority, which currently does not exist. The destruction of a single satellite could lead to the destruction of thousands more due to the escalating issue of orbital debris (Kessler’s syndrome), making it challenging to target one without inflicting collateral damage on everybody. Consequently, space presents numerous collective action dilemmas, as well as opportunities to address them applicable to other domains of challenges humanity faces.
Osnova
  • 1. Space Security: the conundrum of national security interests 2. International legal framework governing space activities 3. Space as a warring domain: the military perspective on space 4. Commercialization: infrastructure, orbital debris, and new societies' fragility on an unseen level 5. Space-related hazards: asteroids, coronal mass ejections, space weather 6. Space Governance options and visions
Výukové metody
lectures and attached seminars
Metody hodnocení
 Active participation based on the literature 1 ECTS (25p) Each student submits written notes from the reader before each class and then is required to actively participate in the discussion. If you miss the presentation, you still have to submit notes from the reader. Reading is compulsory; learning is a joy!  Written analysis 2 ECTS (50p) Each student picks a topic and writes a short study (〜3000 words ± 15%) that includes: 1) short description of the problem related to the topic (launching 30k satellites destroys orbital paths, avoiding asteroid impact requires knowledge and technical ingenuity and capacity to deflect it, mitigating space weather impact on orbital infrastructure can be achieved by shields or temporary shutdown of the electronic devices, 2) a literature review of the available knowledge – using a citation manager will help you as you will gain an advantage and I will consider it as a competence, however, literature review is not a mere summary of the available literature but a specific narrative helping you summarize the topic using the available literature, it is about the context want to frame by that literature and your understanding of the problem, 3) analysis and available answers to the problem, which are not necessarily “solutions” but could be mitigation, avoidance  Policy memo (〜700 words ± 15%, one pager) 1 ECTS (25p) This is a special format we use for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. You will learn how to advise a minister. The structure is as follows: introduction to the problem, analysis, and recommendation. The difference from the previous is its length and concise format. You must be able to fit previous knowledge in a 2-minute reading long one page and include particular steps the ministry should pursue.
Vyučovací jazyk
Angličtina
Další komentáře
Předmět je vyučován každoročně.
Výuka probíhá každý druhý týden.
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/predmet/fss/jaro2025/IREb2034