Germany is making a bold move into the next frontier of national security, announcing its first national space security strategy on Wednesday. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius pledged major expansions of both military and civilian capabilities in Earth’s orbit.
A €35 Billion Push Into Space Defense
The strategy comes just weeks after Pistorius revealed plans for the German armed forces to invest €35 billion in space defense by 2030, citing growing threats from Russia and potentially China.
“We must develop and possess deterrence and defense capabilities,” Pistorius declared in Berlin. He noted that a Russian cyberattack on satellites early in the Ukraine invasion caused hundreds of German wind turbines to fail — a wake-up call for Berlin.
Defensive Posture, But Ready to Strike Back
Pistorius insisted Germany will not pursue an “offensive strategy” in space but emphasized the need to be able to counterattack if adversaries target German systems.
Space and research minister Dorothee Bär added that the plan also includes “asteroid defense programs” and new efforts to tackle the growing crisis of space debris.