One Word, Many Approaches: A Transatlantic Look at Commercial Space Procurement

Read full paper: HERE. 

“Commercial” has become a defining term in today’s space policy landscape — yet its meaning varies widely across programs, regions, and institutions. To support clearer policymaking and more effective procurement strategies, the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) and The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy (CSPS) have partnered to examine how governments in the United States and Europe are leveraging commercial space capabilities.

This initial paper introduces a framework for understanding three procurement models, Commercial‑Lite, Commercial‑Led, and Purely Commercial, and applies them to a set of representative programs across both regions. The analysis highlights how governments are shifting risk and decision‑making to industry, the outcomes associated with different approaches, and the policy drivers shaping these choices.