Fernando Miranda Espana
Ph.D. Student
- Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
Overview
Fernando Miranda España is a PhD student in International Affairs, Science, and Technology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His academic journey, spanning Spain, Poland, the United Kingdom, and now the United States, has been guided by a longstanding interest in the forces shaping global interdependence and security. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Santiago de Compostela, where he also conducted research at the Center for Security Studies and the Chair of Cybersecurity, and later completed a master’s degree in International Relations at King’s College London, graduating with distinction.
He is currently a member of the Institute's Engineering Space Policy Laboratory, where his research examines space security, with a particular focus on the viability and strategic implications of space-based interceptors. Beyond academia, Fernando has advised on European and transatlantic security issues, conducted research on disinformation and emerging technologies, and published a monograph on the contemporary space race.
- King's College London, M.A. International Relations
- University of Santiago de Compostela, Bachelor's in Law
Interests
- International Security Policy
- Science, Technology, and International Policy
- Weapons and Security
- Emerging Technologies - Innovation
- Foreign Policy
- Policy Analysis
- Science and Technology
- Space
Publications
Books
- Is there another Space Race? A metaphorical analysis of the discourse of the ‘Second Space Race'
Date: 2024
This dissertation explores whether a modern space race is underway and investigates how metaphors shape its perception and dynamics. Prompted by the recent increase in space activities and a review of literature on the supposed emergence of a second space race, the study identifies a lack of consensus about its participants, motivations, and objectives. To address this uncertainty, the research employs a discursive and metaphorical analysis approach to examine the discourse of six major space-faring entities: the US, China, Russia, India, the EU, and Japan; finding that only the US and the EU perceive and publicly recognize the space race and utilize the metaphor "Space Exploration is a Race" as a conceptual tool. The study concludes that a space race is perceived, by said actors, to be taking place between the US and China, while also finding that metaphors are playing a crucial role in shaping its dynamics and defining its implications, especially within the US discourse, where they are reinforcing fears of losing space leadership and potentially extending the race toward Mars.
Journal Articles
- Implicacións prácticas das relacións internacionais: un estudo comparativo das perspectivas construtivistas de Alexander Wendt e Richard Lebow
In: Tempo exterior
Date: 2024
Conferences
- From Iron to Gold: Lessons for Space-Based Interceptor Missile Defense
In: Ascend 2026
Date: May 2026
The announcement of the Golden Dome has reignited debates over missile defense and the viability of large-scale defensive architectures. While existing scholarship largely examines whether national missile defense systems undermine deterrence or provoke arms races, less attention has been paid to how adversaries directly respond in practice. This paper addresses that gap by analyzing the types of responses elicited by a pair of historical missile defense systems and deriving lessons relevant to the United States’ proposed Golden Dome. Using a comparative case study approach focused on Israel’s Iron Dome and the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative, we develop a novel framework for understanding adversarial responses, classifying them as offensive, defensive, or diplomatic. The analysis finds that adversaries predominantly adopt offensive measures to capitalize on the inherent cost asymmetry between offensive and defensive capabilities, and that perceptions of system feasibility strongly influence the scale and type of response. Applied to the Golden Dome, where cost asymmetry is more extreme, the Iron Dome case study offers insights into deployment dynamics, but provides limited guidance on adversary reactions to a space-based system operating in a nuclear context. The Strategic Defense Initiative, by contrast, speaks directly to this context and underscores the role of announcements in prompting early and adaptive responses. These findings suggest that assessing the Golden Dome's strategic impact requires moving beyond Iron Dome analogies toward a systematic analysis of how the system's distinct characteristics shape adversary perceptions and, in turn, drive the nature and intensity of their responses over time.
Updated: Sep 1st, 2026 at 9:39 AM