What role does space play in our everyday lives? Where does space policy end and public policy begin? And what capabilities does Europe need to remain competitive in an increasingly interconnected world?
These questions are becoming increasingly relevant as space technologies move beyond the aerospace sector to shape modern societies. Satellite-enabled connectivity, Earth observation and positioning services now underpin sectors ranging from transport and telecommunications to energy, agriculture and environmental monitoring. At the same time, the rapid expansion of commercial space activities raises new questions about security, sustainability, market concentration, orbital governance and Europe's strategic autonomy. As a result, understanding space policy is no longer the preserve of specialists—it is becoming essential across a growing range of policy domains.
Recognising this growing intersection between technology and public policy, the Florence School of Regulation (FSR) and the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) created the Summer School on Space Policy. Designed to bridge the gap between the technical and policy dimensions of the sector, the programme brings together professionals with complementary expertise: those working in space who want to deepen their understanding of policy, and policymakers seeking to strengthen their knowledge of the space ecosystem.
Now in its second edition, the programme welcomed professionals from around the world to explore how space is increasingly integrated across sectors and what this means for policymaking, regulation and governance.
Among this year’s instructors was ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, whose opening lecture invited participants to rethink what space really means today. Rather than focusing solely on astronauts and exploration, Cristoforetti showed how space increasingly enables activities people rely on every day—from navigation and digital connectivity to secure communications and Earth observation.
To illustrate the point, she invited participants to think about a familiar experience: opening a ride-hailing app. While users simply interact with a smartphone, the service ultimately depends on satellite-enabled positioning and connectivity, a reminder that space technologies are increasingly embedded into everyday life.
Likewise, she argued, astronauts are just the most ‘visible’ expression of a much broader European space ecosystem. Reflecting on Europe's role in human spaceflight, she noted:
"It's important for people to realize that when we as Europeans have had opportunities to fly or astronauts specifically to the International Space Station, it was really just the tip of the iceberg."
As Cristoforetti explained, Europe's participation in human spaceflight reflects decades of scientific research, industrial capability and technological development—not simply the opportunity to send astronauts into orbit. The visibility of astronauts represents a much broader ecosystem of research, engineering and innovation. She also argued that future exploration programmes are no longer simply engineering challenges, but increasingly depend on governance, industrial capacity, political commitment and sustained investment.
Lastly, one message emerging consistently throughout the week was that the strategic question is no longer simply what can we do in space? Increasingly, it is what kinds of societies, economies and public services does space enable on Earth?
Bringing together experts from European institutions, academia and industry, the Summer School reflected the European University Institute's commitment to addressing precisely these cross-cutting challenges through interdisciplinary dialogue—demonstrating that today's most complex policy questions are rarely confined to a single discipline.