THE INVISIBLE WAR IN SPACE

BETWEEN SATELLITES, LEGAL SILENCES, AND THE LIMITS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN THE FACE OF MILITARIZATION AND THE NEW ORBITAL GEOPOLITICS

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Space exploration, once focused on scientific cooperation and technological progress, has transformed into a field of strategic disputes between major powers. This article, "The Invisible War in Space: Between Satellites, Legal Silences, and the Limits of International Law in the Face of Militarization and the New Orbital Geopolitics," analyzes how the increasing militarization of space influences contemporary geopolitics, shifting the debate from cooperative governance to the sphere of international security. The study examines a history of the legal framework and the normative limitations of International Space Law, identifying the weaknesses of hard law and soft law instruments in the face of orbital military expansion. The research shows that the pursuit of technological primacy has driven the creation of strategic alliances and new forms of domination in space, converting it into a domain of national defense and competition between states. The role of the main international forums and the ineffectiveness of current norms in containing the securitization of space are also discussed. The article proposes reflections on the need for a new regulatory framework capable of harmonizing global interests and ensuring the peaceful use of space, arguing that maintaining peace and international cooperation is essential to prevent the orbital environment from becoming the stage for irreversible strategic conflicts.

Keywords: Space Law, Militarization of Space, Global Governance, International Security, Space Geopolitics.