Łódź Ready for ESA: Our Research on International Law and Starlink Published by Elsevier

A new co-authored article by Berna Akcalı Gur (Queen Mary University of London) and Joanna Kulesza (Lodz Cyber Hub) has just been published in Space Policy (Elsevier). The piece is the result of long-term research into how large satellite constellations — including Starlink and the European IRIS² system — shape global digital security and the sustainability of orbital commons.

The authors examine the EU’s plans to deploy the sovereign satellite infrastructure IRIS², showing that the international competition for capacity in non-geostationary orbits (NGSO) — currently dominated by systems such as Starlink — often overshadows the urgent question of orbital environmental sustainability. The absence of effective global rules for space traffic management and debris mitigation only deepens these challenges. Using the European Union as a case study, the article demonstrates how ambitions for digital autonomy can conflict with stated commitments to sustainable use of outer space, revealing major governance gaps in the emerging global system.

The publication contributes meaningfully to the ongoing debate on the future of satellite megaconstellations and the protection of global commons — particularly as geopolitical competition in low-Earth orbit intensifies. It forms part of a broader, year-long research effort, developed in cooperation with experts from the Internet Society, on the role of space-based infrastructure in supporting an open and secure Internet.

Why does this matter now?

Because Łódź is increasingly visible in European discussions as a potential location for a new ESA unit focused on cybersecurity and research on space-based critical infrastructure. Publication in one of the field’s most respected journals strengthens the city’s position as a credible partner for European institutions.