Irish Examiner View: Power struggle for the final frontier will put pressure on Irish neutrality

Astropolitics will be an important topic in the second half of this century

Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket lifts off at Europe's Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. Commercial companies are believed to be looking at remote locations along the south and west coast of Ireland as possible sites for a launchpad. Picture: NASA via AP

Much attention has been given to the threat to Ireland in its position as the jumping-off point for transatlantic digital connectivity between Europe and the US. 

It is estimated that about three-quarters of all cables in the northern hemisphere pass through or near Irish waters, carrying 97% of global communications, including financial transactions, business operations, and everyday internet access.