<p>Space has been a popular domain for power projection ever since the launch of Russia’s Sputnik in 1957. But how is soft power relevant in this domain?</p> <p>Dr Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), joins us to take a closer look at how China is utilising soft power in the space domain. This includes Tiangong, its space station; space situational awareness (SSA) ground stations all over the world; and BeiDou, China’s GPS equivalent. Are these measures successful in projecting power? Where do they fit into the wider Chinese foreign policy of the Belt and Road Initiative? And is Russia likely to remain China’s chief partner in this field?</p>

Episode 23: ‘From Cornwall with Launch’: The UK’s First Sovereign Space Launch

Space is becoming increasingly congested, contested and competed over. It has never been so easy – or so cheap – to launch a satellite into orbit. With space activity proliferating, its impact on national security has grown too: space assets are becoming vulnerable and space debris is becoming increasingly dangerous. War in Space is a series of interviews with experts in space and defence that will analyse the intersection of space and national security, unravelling the technical jargon that so often accompanies these discussions and explaining why space matters for our everyday lives and security.

The views or statements expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by RUSI employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of RUSI.