Author: Vision & Global Trends – 13/06/2026
From Earth to Orbit: The Future of Small Satellites in the New Space Economy
On 15 June 2026, the Department of Political Science of the University of Roma Tre will host the eveny “From Earth to Orbit: The Future of Small Satellites in the New Space Economy”, an event dedicated to examining the technological, economic, and geopolitical transformations that are reshaping the contemporary space sector. The conference will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Department’s Thesis Hall and is organized within the framework of the PhD Programme in Government, Economics and Institutions.
The event will open with the presentation of the paper “When Launch Costs Fall, Do Satellites Shrink and Constellations Grow? The Role of SpaceX in the SmallSat Revolution”, delivered by Professor Edoardo Marcucci (Roma Tre University). The session will be moderated by Professor Valerio Gatta (Roma Tre University).
A roundtable discussion will follow, bringing together scholars, experts, and institutional representatives to explore the prospects of the emerging New Space Economy, a phenomenon that is profoundly transforming the relationship between technological innovation, space infrastructure, economic activity, and strategic competition.
The panel participants include:
- Professor Monica Auteri (Roma Tre University);
- Professor Sirio Zolea (Roma Tre University);
- Professor Alberto Franco Pozzolo (Roma Tre University);
- Dr. Tiberio Graziani (Vision & Global Trends – International Institute for Global Analyses);
- Mr. Marco Di Giugno (ENAC – Italian Civil Aviation Authority);
- Professor Alfonso Giordano (LUISS Guido Carli University);
- Professor Francesco Lapenta (John Cabot University);
- Dr. Valentina Chabert (Sapienza University of Rome);
- Dr. Zoe Votta (University of Pavia).
The conference offers a valuable interdisciplinary platform for discussion among specialists in economics, technology, law, international relations, and geopolitics, contributing to a deeper understanding of the transformations currently affecting the space sector and their implications for the global order of the twenty-first century.
Event Information
Date: 15 June 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Venue: Thesis Hall, Department of Political Science, Roma Tre University
Organizing Committee: Emanuele Smeraldo, Riccardo Erriu, Irene De Angeli.
Vision & Global Trends – International Institute for Global Analyses welcomes this initiative and considers the space domain one of the key arenas in which future dynamics of power, technological sovereignty, and international strategic competition will increasingly take shape.