Geopolítica aeroespacial

Abstract

The aerospace environment is defined as geographical space formed by the combination of air space and outer space, in which geopolitical relationships are established. Based on this hypothesis, the objective of the investigation was to analyze the geopolitical relevance of this aerospace environment, formulating the concept of Aerospace Geopolitics. From the hypothetical-deductive method, the research developed a theoretical approach supplemented by an empirical contextualization of the theme. In the theoretical approach, a bibliographic research and the survey of factual evidence was carried out whose methodological effort was, initially, to geographically characterize the aerospace environment. Then, the analysis contextualized geopolitics in this domain, by investigating evidence in the fields of geographical epistemology, and political, economic, technological, and ideological variables. In the empirical part, based on the direct extensive observation technique, the research collected elements for the elaboration of prospective scenarios for aerospace geopolitics in Brazil. As a result of the investigation, it was found that, despite having different geomorphologies, the interdependence of political, economic, technological and ideological phenomena between airspace and outer space allows us to understand them in a combined way, including reinforcing the idea of a theory of aerospace power. From the beginnings of aviation to the space age, such phenomena in this new environment have become decisive for humanity, configuring power relations, defining territories, creating legal frameworks, claims for sovereignty and disputes that go beyond classical surface approaches to geopolitics. As for the scenarios, the investigation generated three distinct situations, under the realistic, idealistic, and a blend of both points of view, which indicate alternatives for public policies in the aerospace sector. The Thesis concluded that conflicts of a military nature, but also the exploitation of natural resources, the growing importance of air transport, the access to new technologies of communication and information, economic development generated by the aerospace field, the presence of ideologies and even the possibility of man to better use the atmosphere and explore, or inhabit, new ones celestial bodies reveals the demand for Aerospace Geopolitics. Thus, the aerospace environment is a new domain for geographic science, including as a stage for national defense and development strategies, reinforcing the relevant role of Geography for society.