Reference Center: Research Center for International and Strategic Studies

SPHERE represents an interdisciplinary research unit dedicated to the study of political, economic, social, humanistic, and geographical dynamics related to space exploration and management. This unit focuses on:

• SP – Space Policies: The research unit analyzes the strategies, regulations, and governance frameworks that regulate space activities at national and international levels. It studies the geopolitical implications of space exploration, global power competition, cooperative initiatives in space, as well as the space economy.
• H – Humanities: SPHERE integrates social science perspectives into the analysis of the implications of space exploration, placing the human being at the center of space policies and strategies.
• E – Exogeography: Taking planetary geographies into account, exogeography explores the relationship between humans and extraterrestrial environments, the planning of habitable space on other celestial bodies, and the spatial organization of future interplanetary stations.
• RE – Research Ecosystem: The research unit is conceived as an interdisciplinary research ecosystem, capable of connecting scholars, industries, policy makers, and students to address the challenges of space development from a systemic perspective.

The SPHERE research unit positions itself as a center of excellence in the interdisciplinary analysis of space policies, the space economy, and exogeographic exploration. Its main research areas include:

• Space Policies and Governance
• Astropolitics and Global Strategies
• Space Economy and Sustainability Models
• Exogeography and New Frontiers of Expansion