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Journals / ETÜ Sentez İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi / 2025 / Sayı: 16

Global Asymmetry And Externalities in the Space Economy: Digital Colonialism and the New Cycle of Dependence

Uzay Ekonomisinde Küresel Asimetri ve Dışsallıklar: Dijital Kolonyalizm ve Yeni Bağimlılık Döngüsü

Ömer Buğra Südüpak(Vakıf Bank T.A.O.)0000-0001-9153-7097
Pages
153–168
Publication Date
2025-12-31
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These are necessary measures to ensure that space infrastructures grow, not just as technologies, but as engines of social justice and equitable global development.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This article argues that the space economy is not just a technological frontier, but a multidimensional realm that encompasses global justice, data sovereignty, and the provision of public goods.
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Key Findings & Data:Satellite-based systems, positioning systems, and earth observation data produce significant positive externalities in various areas, including disaster prevention, agriculture, and environmental protection.
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Conclusion & Impact:These are necessary measures to ensure that space infrastructures grow, not just as technologies, but as engines of social justice and equitable global development.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Kolonyalizm · Dışsallıklar · Uzay Ekonomisi

Abstract

This article argues that the space economy is not just a technological frontier, but a multidimensional realm that encompasses global justice, data sovereignty, and the provision of public goods. Satellite-based systems, positioning systems, and earth observation data produce significant positive externalities in various areas, including disaster prevention, agriculture, and environmental protection. However, the consolidation of ownership and control over these infrastructures in the hands of just a few major entities is also making these forms of digital colonialism more menacing. Based on Andre Gunder Frank's Dependency Theory, the study argues that peripheral countries are mere consumers of space-based information, deprived of independence in high-value sectors such as satellite manufacturing, launching systems, and spectrum allocation. The analysis highlights that, despite tangible advances in satellite ownership, profound structural imbalances persist. In short, democratizing the space economy entails making information public, fostering competition among launchers, and enhancing international governance. These are necessary measures to ensure that space infrastructures grow, not just as technologies, but as engines of social justice and equitable global development.

Özet

Bu çalışma, uzay ekonomisinin yalnızca teknolojik bir alan değil; aynı zamanda küresel adalet, veri egemenliği ve kamusal fayda çerçevesinde değerlendirilmesi gereken çok boyutlu bir yapı sunduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Uydu teknolojileri, konumlandırma sistemleri ve gözlem verileri aracılığıyla ekonomik büyümenin yanı sıra afet yönetimi, tarım ve çevresel sürdürülebilirlik gibi alanlarda pozitif dışsallıklar üretmektedir. Ancak, bu altyapılar üzerindeki mülkiyetin ve veri kontrolünün az sayıda aktörde yoğunlaşması, dijital kolonyalizm kavramını güncel uzay politikalarının merkezine taşımaktadır. Çalışma, Andre Gunder Frank'in Bağımlılık Teorisi üzerinden, çevre ülkelerin yalnızca veri tüketicisi konumunda kaldığını; üretim, fırlatma ve spektrum yönetimi gibi stratejik segmentlerde merkez ülkelere bağımlı olduğunu savunmaktadır. Sonuç bölümünde, uzay altyapılarının demokratikleşmesi için veri erişiminin kamusallaştırılması, bağımsız fırlatma kabiliyetlerinin geliştirilmesi ve uluslararası yönetişim ilkelerinin güçlendirilmesi gerektiği vurgulanmaktadır. Böylelikle uzay ekonomisinin sadece teknolojik değil, aynı zamanda sosyal eşitliği gözeten bir alan hâline gelmesi amaçlanmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Südüpak, Ö. B. (2025). Global Asymmetry And Externalities in the Space Economy: Digital Colonialism and the New Cycle of Dependence. ETÜ Sentez İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, Sayı: 16, 153–168. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18099489

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