by Timo Pesonen, Director-General, DG Defence Industry and Space, European Commission, Brussels
In today’s complex and volatile geopolitical environment, space plays a pivotal role. It is crucial to protect the safety and security of our citizens, safeguard the interests of the EU and our Member States and ensure the well-functioning of critical economic sectors.
As Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), I find myself at the nexus of space and defence that are increasingly intertwined. Space and defence are instrumental to the EU’s freedom of action, rely on complex programme management capacities and require a competitive technological and industrial basis. There are many commonalities that we need to fully leverage.
Key enabler for security and defence
Over the past years, we have torn down walls between space and defence, both at EU and Member States levels. This paradigm shift is substantiated by the EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence of March 2023. The European Union recognises space as a strategic domain and a key enabler for security and defence, addressing a wide spectrum of security challenges, ranging from defence, terrorism and cyber threats to maritime piracy and natural disasters, to name just a few. The role of space in Member States’ security and defence strategies is becoming more pronounced, reflecting both the evolving nature of threats and the rapid development of space technologies.
Space is crucial for modern security architectures, providing new capabilities for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, secure connectivity, as well as positioning, navigation and timing (PNT). Space-based technologies enhance our situational awareness and resilience both in space and on Earth and enable rapid response mechanisms.
Security supported by the EU space programme
The European Union space programme already provides tangible services, assets and tools in support of security and defence with the already well-known Galileo and Copernicus components. Galileo, the EU global navigation satellite system (GNSS), ensures independent and reliable PNT capacity, reducing our dependence on foreign systems and bolstering the resilience of critical infrastructures, such as energy grids, transport networks or banking and financial services. Copernicus, the Earth observation component of the EU space programme, provides timely and accurate geospatial information that underpins various security services, from border and maritime surveillance to environmental monitoring and disaster management.
Moreover, the EU is actively pursuing the development of space-based capabilities tailored to the specific needs of EU defence and security users. Investing in cutting-edge technologies like the ones needed for secure governmental satellite communications, for space situational awareness, or for in-space operations and services, also reinforces and complements Member States’ capacities.
While space assets gain strategic value in support of security and defence operations, they become more and more exposed to security threats, including to cyber-attacks or to hostile activities in space. The level of threats has drastically increased in the context of Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine. We need to take action to improve the level of resilience and security of space infrastructure against cyber threats and electromagnetic interference. This is one of the priorities that we aim to address with the upcoming proposal for EU space law.
The EU as a competitive space power
In tackling these challenges and seizing opportunities afforded by space, the EU must adopt a comprehensive and forward-looking approach to better integrate security and defence needs into its space policy and the evolution of the EU space programme. This entails fostering closer collaboration between civilian and military stakeholders, leveraging public-private partnerships to drive innovation and investment in space technology, and strengthening our international partnerships to promote responsible behaviour in outer space.
While doing more for the competitiveness of our space industry, we need to increase our strategic posture as a space power. Our sovereign space capacities already offer services for security and defence and strengthen our strategic autonomy. As we look to the future, we are embracing the transformative potential of space and forging a path towards a safer, more secure and prosperous EU.
