Space, AI technology, and the future of Transatlantic security
In Latin, scientia meant more than knowledge: it was the disciplined pursuit of understanding, a form of power grounded in reason. For centuries, science and strategy advanced in parallel. Today, they converge. The ability to lead, and to protect, depends on how well we understand, govern, and invest in the frontiers of knowledge.
When we picture defense, we often think of troops, tanks, and treaties. But in 2025 and beyond, the battlefield is just as likely to be orbital or algorithmic. Space is emerging as the newest strategic domain, one where infrastructure, AI, research security, and diplomacy are critical. As an astrophysicist and space leader working across government, academia, and philanthropy, I have seen firsthand how scientific infrastructure, emerging technologies, and geopolitical influence are increasingly interwoven, transforming space into a core lever of strategic power.
To meet this moment, Europe and the United States must renew their aligned leadership around four interlinked priorities: scientific infrastructure, space diplomacy, research security and artificial intelligence (AI), and public-private partnerships. These domains are not only sources of innovation, but also strategic levers for global stability. According to a recent McKinsey report, the global space economy could exceed $1.8 trillion by 2030. Space is not only the next scientific frontier, but also a high-stakes arena of economic and geopolitical competition.
1. Space Science as Strategic Influence, and Space Diplomacy
The ancient Greeks called the universe Kosmos: not just stars and planets, but harmony, meaning, and order. In this spirit, science has long served as a diplomatic bridge. Even during the Cold War, cooperation on the International Geophysical Year, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, and later the International Space Station (ISS) kept dialogue open when almost nothing else could.
But today, space itself is becoming a site of geopolitical competition. The Artemis Accords, led by the United States and its allies, and China’s proposed International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) represent competing visions for space governance. Behind them lie diverging ideas about access, infrastructure, and influence.
Europe is already central to this evolving architecture. Through the European Space Agency (ESA), it leads or co-invests in more than 30 active space science missions. It backs the European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in Chile – one of the most ambitious ground-based observatories ever conceived. And it partners with NASA on planetary defense, as with the Hera mission targeting asteroid redirection. These are only a few facets of a broader European effort to shape the scientific foundations of global space governance.
These scientific institutions and space missions are not just about discovery. They are platforms for trust, engagement, and influence. For the US and Europe to shape the rules of the new space order, science diplomacy must be seen not as an add-on, but as a strategic function.
2. Cislunar Infrastructure and Research Security
Space security today means more than managing orbital debris or deterring anti-satellite threats. It now includes the infrastructure to sustain presence in the region between Earth and the Moon: the so-called cislunar space. With NASA’s Artemis program accelerating and China rapidly expanding its lunar ambitions, this zone is emerging as a new layer of geopolitical and technological competition.
Scientific missions can help anchor presence and capability. The project I co-lead, the Artemis-enabled Stellar Imager (AeSI), is a proposed optical interferometer on the Moon, designed to image the universe with unprecedented resolution. But it does more than science. It builds capacity: from power distribution to deep-space communications and precision alignment, directly contributing to building a sustainable lunar infrastructure.
Within the broader Moon to Mars architecture, NASA’s CPNT (Communications, Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) system already enables secure operations across the Moon, cislunar space, and Earth. The U.S. Space Force’s “Cislunar Highway Patrol System” is extending domain awareness and coordination even further.
Presence equals influence. If we are not there – with science, infrastructure, and satellites – we risk ceding the rules to others. In this context, research security becomes national security. Many of our open scientific systems remain vulnerable to interference or misuse. The Vera Rubin Observatory, for instance, recently detected over 2,000 new asteroids in 10 hours – a triumph of open data. But its infrastructure, like others, remains exposed to cyber risk.
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To protect scientific autonomy and strategic independence, transatlantic actors must invest in sovereign, secure, and interoperable systems: from AI-enabled science with Earth observations to quantum-resilient communications, and cislunar navigation. Lasers for space communications and debris mitigation offer dual-use potential, but demand coordinated governance.
In this spirit, I am proud to have contributed to the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. National Science Foundation and Italy’s Ministry of University and Research, deepening cooperation in frontier research areas like astrophysics, AI, quantum, and more.
3. AI: The Invisible Infrastructure of Power
Just as presence in Space defines who leads above, AI leadership will shape who governs power on Earth. The race to develop and govern advanced AI systems is the defining strategic challenge of our time – shaping not only military capabilities, but economic strength and societal trust.
Artificial intelligence is already embedded in satellite diagnostics, Earth observation pipelines, and the autonomy of future spacecraft. But its deployment is outpacing its safeguards. AI models can fail, drift, or be manipulated – and space systems are not exempt. NATO’s 2024 Locked Shields exercise exposed AI vulnerabilities in critical systems, including potential risks for space tech. Classifiers trained on satellite data have shown susceptibility to adversarial attacks. Autonomous defense tools raise serious safety and ethical concerns.
We lack shared norms for red-teaming, stress testing, or system verification; and in this vacuum, fragmentation is likely. Europe has taken a regulatory lead, while the US drives much of the technological frontier. But transatlantic alignment is urgently needed, to ensure AI is safe, auditable, and fit for critical applications. Space is a compelling testbed: from autonomous orbiters to AI-enhanced telescopes, these systems demand trust and resilience.
More broadly, AI safety must be treated as a pillar of democratic integrity and strategic stability. Getting this right is not a technical challenge alone, it is a governance responsibility.
4. Industry and the Architecture of Space
None of this can succeed without the private sector. Today, companies are shaping access to space. From SpaceX and Airbus to OHB and the many startups driving dual-use innovation, commercial actors define pace, access, and risk tolerance.
Public-private partnerships are essential. The EU’s IRIS² constellation, ESA’s Cassini platform, and the EUSPA innovation hub all reflect a new strategic logic: that resilience depends on shared stewardship.
But industry can do more: investing in scientific instrumentation and research, supporting AI safety standards, and expanding early-career fellowships across sectors would help strengthen transatlantic capacity and trust. In this spirit, I serve on the Executive Committee of ISSNAF (the Italian Scientists and Scholars of North America Foundation) to help foster enduring intellectual transatlantic bridges.
5. Strategic Alignment for a New Transatlantic Era
To lead in a world shaped by space, science, and AI, we must move beyond silos. The next phase of transatlantic leadership will be defined by strategic alignment in research infrastructure, safety standards, and international governance. Space, AI, and research security are not peripheral to geopolitics, they are its frontier.
The decisions we make today – about how we build, share, and protect knowledge – will define not just who leads, but how we lead. If Europe and the US want to lead in the decades ahead, we must act now: by investing in scientific infrastructure, setting safety standards, and shaping the rules that will govern tomorrow’s technologies. Space is truly the next frontier, and the foundation of trust, infrastructure, and cooperation on Earth.
*This article builds on insights the author shared at the recent 2025 Aspen Transatlantic Conference, where she was invited to discuss the strategic role of space in shaping the future of transatlantic defense cooperation.
