The boom in space activity of the past few years has made Earth’s orbit more crowded and dynamic, with thousands of new satellites joining potential menaces such as Russia’s Luch Olymp inspector satellite. The number of active satellites in orbit has more than tripled in just four years, according to European Space Agency data. Most new space activity is in low Earth orbit, where spacecraft zip around at 27,500 kilometers per hour, challenging Western militaries built on systems adapted to static geostationary orbits.
Defense firms including Safran and space-data specialists such as True Anomaly and Vyoma see an opportunity to help defense departments adapt to the growing volume of extraterrestrial activity. Governments spent $58.4 billion on space defense and security in 2023, according to Novaspace, with the U.S. leading spending followed by China and Russia. France is fourth with $1.3 billion. The lack of a full picture of space creates a high probability of miscalculations that could lead to a crisis or war.
Commercial operator Viasat, faced a cyberattack in February 2022 by Russia just before the invasion of Ukraine, emphasizing the need for improved space-domain awareness. Militaries need to coordinate with civilian and commercial operators to enhance space security. Space threats include multiple rendezvous and proximity operations by Russia and others, as well as daily threats from natural or man-made debris. Kinetic weapons are a concern, and the U.S. and some allies have committed to not testing them in space. The EU presented its first-ever strategy for space defense and security in March.
