Each morning of this week, Daniel Fortin, from the editorial staff of "Echoes", takes stock of a current economic issue.
Today, on the occasion of the departure of the French astronaut Thomas Pesquet for the International Space Station, he explains that a trade war is brewing in space.
Thomas Pesquet takes off this Friday morning from Florida to the International Space Station at 11:49 am French time. Behind this mission which fascinates France, it is a real trade war which is preparing in space ...
"Yes and this war will take place between 400 and 1,300 kilometers above our heads, in what is called low orbit. This is where the famous international space station is located. This is one of the symbols. of the coming conflict: her godfathers, the United States and Russia in particular, are torn apart over her future. She is no longer very young with her twenty-three years. She cracks on all sides and it costs a lot. expensive, between $ 4 billion and $ 5 billion in maintenance each year.
Russia, which wants its own station, therefore threatens to withdraw.
But the United States refuses: not that they are particularly keen on this somewhat outdated machine, but what they absolutely want to avoid at all costs is for China to settle in majesty in this orbit with their own space station.
It is the first act of the conflict, that of sovereignty.
The second does not concern States but private actors ...
It always happens in the same place, in low orbit.
This time, it is the world's great fortunes that clash.
Elon Musk, the boss of Space X, wants to install 42,000 mini-satellites in this part of space.
Jeff Bezos, the boss of Amazon, wants to launch 3,000.
These are gigantic programs if we compare them to the number of satellites currently in service: they are barely 6,000 today, half of which are out of service.
Why launch so many machines?
Quite simply to prepare for the future world of connected objects.
It will take a lot of relays to connect more and more customers to the Internet, to pilot autonomous cars and deliver customers by drone.
These relays are called mega-constellations.
Everyone wants theirs: the American Gafa, of course, but also the Chinese.
Can the space accommodate everyone?
You might think so, but it is not.
We will quickly come up against an environmental problem: what to do with space debris when these tens of thousands of satellites die?
Can we throw them into infinity when the low orbit is not as large as we think?
Can we allow what is today a sort of Wild West to prosper without any real rule if not that of first come-first served?
We already know that states will have to regulate this modern-day gold rush.
In any case, it is one of the most exciting battles of the century which is being prepared. "