A historic shift is underway in the global aerospace industry. India’s private sector just achieved its first successful orbital launch with Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram 1 rocket, while Europe faces severe launch bottlenecks and regulatory delays that threaten its strategic autonomy in space.
Global power is no longer measured solely by armies or economies. Control over critical infrastructure—from shipping lanes and rare minerals to satellite networks—has become the ultimate currency of geopolitical leverage. As private corporations and single nations hold the keys to essential systems, nations face a growing risk of concentrated authority. Discover how nations are navigating these new vulnerabilities and why reducing dependency is essential for future resilience.
With the global space economy set to soar by 2035, current 1960s-era laws are struggling to keep pace. From traffic management to debris mitigation, experts warn that coordinated international standards are now essential to prevent a congested, contested orbital future.
As we enter the first week of January 2026, the global landscape is defined by the fallout from the U.S. military operation in Venezuela and a critical “election-year” posture from Washington. The year ahead suggests a shift from the post-war multilateral order toward a more transactional, high-stakes era of “sovereignty-first” politics.
