Foreword to the Book „Space Security – Extending European Defence into Space“ by Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space
I was appointed first ever European Commissioner for Defence and Space. Such a post never existed before. Of course, there have been Commissioners responsible, among others, for defence industry and space policy. But never with a singular focus on defence and space. And that is, first and foremost, because the geopolitical situation demands a massive defence ramp up, and the space revolution demands a massive space ramp up. And second, because space and defence can mutually benefit from each other. We need space for our defence and must defend our space assets. That is why any initiative to further advance Europe’s role on space for security and defence matters. By way of introduction to this collection of viewpoints, I here want to give my ten key observations from my first year as Commissioner.
1. We’re at the start of a space revolution
What rail was for the 19th century, cars and planes for the 20th century, space will be for the 21st century. The 21st century will be the age of space. The space economy is expected to triple in size. Space is already part of our daily lives on Earth in several sectors of our economy: from connectivity to positioning and navigation for different transport modes; from agriculture to climate action; from bank transactions to energy grid management to mention only a few. And soon we will also be using space directly to boost benefits on Earth: A booming orbital economy. The Moon, Mars and beyond.
2. Europe is a global space power
We can be proud of Europe’s achievements in space. We have Galileo – the best satellite navigation system in the world, Copernicus, the best Earth observation system in the world and soon we will have IRIS² – the best secure connectivity system in the world. We managed to bring back access to space. We have an excellent academic and industrial base. But we should not rest on our laurels – we must do what we can to maintain our position and we must innovate to boost our capacities.
3. We need Space for our Society, Economy and Strategic Autonomy
Space brings benefits to millions, billions of people, making life better on our planet Earth. Reaching for the stars and using the stars has always been humanity’s aspiration. And as technology unfolds at an unprecedented pace, now is the time to act to capture the booming space economy and contribute to our competitiveness. But space is also deeply entangled with our autonomy and security. Europe needs to have its own space capabilities with the right scale and across different domains to survive in a dangerous world.
4. Space is a Source of Inspiration
From the start of humanity, space has captured our imagination and has been a source of immense inspiration. From scientific discovery to the exploration of the unknown, from technological advances to incredible solutions here on Earth, space continues to inspire all of us. Being in space is part of our culture and has made children dream. Inspiration unites. Inspiration conquers division. Space amplifies our European values. Space can attract our youth to a passion for STEM disciplines, so much needed for our economy. Space needs scientific and engineering talent. Europe needs to attract and retain STEM talent.
5. Space creates Value and requires Scale
The Commission has proposed an action plan to stimulate the European space economy. European industry needs scale in domestic and export markets. European industry will have a single market for space with the first ever EU Space Act. Fragmentation in our space market is an obstacle to progress. Industry needs rules of “the road” for safety, resilience and sustainability. The exponential rise of space debris leads to a rising danger of collisions and incidents. We all need a “Schengen” for space, bringing together like-minded partners across the world.
6. Space on Earth and in Orbit
Europe can be proud of developing and operating unique space systems. Europe is already using space data and services across different sectors of the economy. This needs to be intensified as Europe owns these systems and their data. EU policies should offer opportunities to the economy by promoting the use of space in their respective domains to create speed and value.
But the space economy is also developing directly in space: the orbital, cislunar and lunar economy is gradually unfolding. The scientific, strategic, military, economic, and political interests in lunar exploration have led major space-faring nations to invest significantly in robotics, heavy-lift launch capabilities, cargo and crew, and lunar infrastructure. These international developments are reshaping the technological landscape and they are directly relevant for security.
7. Space is the next Battlefield
Satellites help Ukraine to defend itself against aggression, but they are also used by Russia to attack and destroy. Modern warfare is fully space-enabled: connected tanks, fighter jets and drones, plugged into battlefield data, getting real time strategical and tactical information. Russia is developing laser weapons that can blind satellites. Russian spy satellites are shadowing European satellites. We are already under attack – every year 50,000 flights are affected by jamming and spoofing of global satellite systems. We need to be ready for this future.
8. Our Strength is our Unity
Space has shown how working together can bring what no single member state can do alone. Cooperation has a double benefit: it enables Europe to achieve more, with less. By uniting our strengths rather than overlapping our efforts, by combining our capabilities rather than duplicating, we elevate the future of Europe together. Today, European cooperation is more important than ever, in a global context where we are collectively challenged to be more ambitious and autonomous, while exercising budgetary restraint. We must pool our resources, at the service of a shared vision.
Together, we are giving governments and armed forces what they need for our security. For instance, our EU GOVSATCOM will provide secure, military grade communication by pooling and sharing available national capabilities. And Galileo’s public regulated service will protect against spoofing and jamming. The Earth observation governmental service will give secure and high-quality intelligence.
Defence can only learn from space. In defence there are few successful pan-European projects. But in space we are a great team. The Commission proposes. Member States decide. Industry builds. The European Space Agency designs and develops or manages on the EU’s behalf. The EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) and other entities operate. Together we have built great space flagship projects that no Member State can build on their own.
9. Europe needs a Space Defence Shield
In today’s dire geopolitical landscape, we need to accelerate and bring about a comprehensive European space defence capacity. We need a European Space Defence Shield. A capacity to observe, position, navigate, to ensure secure communications from space. A capacity to defend our assets in space to tackle interference, to operate in space. An advanced space transportation system to, in and from space.
We do not start from scratch. We need to pool and share capabilities to guarantee a strong economy of scale so that together we can have more. We need to leverage industry innovation to attract and retain skills and jobs in Europe and to deliver fast. We need to build interoperability and security by design, ensuring systems work together seamlessly. We will include European space systems such as Galileo, LEO PNT, IRIS², GOVSATCOM, EOGS to mention only a few. In short, this entails complementing national activities by creating a cooperative European space layer that amplifies national efforts and guarantees autonomy for Europe as a whole.
10. The future belongs to space: who controls space, controls the future
We cannot afford to abandon space to our adversaries, or even to fall behind our friends. That is why space is a priority for the European Union, and why we propose a fivefold increase of our European space budget for the next multi-annual EU budget. That is why Member States have decided to increase their spending for space as part of the increase in defence spending. That is why Member States have decided to increase their spending through the European Space Agency.
And as we look towards the future with great ambition, we should not forget that access to space is mission critical for our future in space. Europe needs independent access to space. Recent Ariane 6 and VEGA C launches, the full deployment of the Copernicus constellation and the replenishment of the Galileo constellation show: Europe is back! But we will need much more: more launches, more satellites, more rockets we can use again and again and again.
Together we can do more, better and faster! Our future in space lies in our unity!
Andrius Kubilius
EU Commissioner for Defence and Space
