Small states projecting soft power in the new space race: Case study of Finland

The outer space has been a political arena since the first space race. In contrast to the U.S.-Soviet space race of the Cold War, we are now witnessing a new kind of space race. Space-related technologies are becoming available not only to large space-faring nations but also to smaller states. Finland, a small state in Northern Europe, has intensified its space efforts during the last five years. In this Thesis we want to know, why a small state like Finland wants to invest in space technologies. We argue that since small states have limited resources, they seek to project soft power by developing space capabilities. By conducting an in-depth case study, we learned that Finland’s enthusiasm about space is explained by three overlapping reasons. Firstly, Finland is well-aware of the security threats space-related technologies might pose to the society. Secondly, the state wishes to reap socioeconomic benefits from space. Thirdly, the country has a history of successful space research, that has allowed it to generate new start-up businesses and participate in international space projects. This Thesis offers some answers to the less-studied phenomena of small state participation in the new space race.