Abstract:

Misunderstood over a long period, space is becoming a major stake in defence and security policy, especially in the US. With George W. Bush, the projects that aim toward the militarisation of space could re-emerge in the US. The Rumsfeld report, which intends to affirm the US' hegemony in this domain, is the subject of many debates. Up to now, the budgetary out-look for 2002 and 2003 does not indicate a marked increase in monies available to antisatellite weapons: the campaign against terrorism and the project for missile defence leave little room for manoeuvre. But, come the day, if the technology were ready and the money to be found, then a significant deployment could take place. For its part, the European Union is concentrating its efforts on the development of systems that seem necessary and, if possible, economically viable. The Edinburgh summit of November 2001 indicated some progress among European military in the field of space.


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