Germany’s space command announcement puts it in a growing list of nations that are establishing divisions solely dedicated to space matters. This move follows recent decisions by France and the UK, which are also seeking to strengthen their defensive capabilities. Leading data and analytics company GlobalData notes that this shift illustrates the increasing recognition of space as a theatre of strategic importance – one that may become a future arena of conflict.

Victoria Bosomworth, Aerospace and Defense Associate Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Germany’s noteworthy move comes at a time where the recognition of a need for a presence in space is further underlined by the recent NATO conference held in June 2021. After designating space as a fifth domain in 2019, a highly significant NATO repositioning at last month’s conference saw a change to a clause of the principle enshrined in the organization’s fundamental collective defense pact (Article 5), which saw the parameters upon which retaliatory measures could be taken extended to include potential attacks on assets in space.

“Germany has been investing substantially in space-related activities in recent years, initially opening its new Air and Space Operations Centre (ASOC) in September 2020. The Bundeswehr currently has six satellites in orbit, and one of the primary aims of the newly announced space command is to operate defensively in order to secure and prevent attacks on infrastructure. Aside from military reconnaissance and investigation of potential threats, the space command will also be charged with the monitoring of dangerous space debris.”

States such as the US, Russia and China continue to build their resources and stake their claim in outer space as technology develops. The surging commercial sector is made up of large corporations such as Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, competing for the nascent but quickly growing space tourism industry.”