The importance of space has been increasing for allied defense, deterrence, operations, and resilience over the last few decades. This summer’s NATO summit in Washington presents a key opportunity to build on the alliance’s nascent space policy and structure at an inflection point for NATO and space power.
NATO has made slow, steady progress on space policy for just over a decade. In 2019, NATO released a new space policy and declared space an operational domain. Two years later, NATO confirmed that Article 5 applies to space. In 2022, the NATO Strategic Concept underlined the vital role of space for NATO’s deterrence and defense posture.
NATO has introduced organizational changes to reflect its commitment to its space policy, such as establishing the Space Center at Allied Air Command in 2020. The NATO Space Center of Excellence in Toulouse, France, was accredited in 2023, focusing on three operational functions: space domain awareness, operational space support, and space domain coordination.
NATO has introduced two projects to support its efforts: Strategic Space Situational Awareness System and Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space. Russia’s actions against key elements of space infrastructure in the invasion of Ukraine highlight the importance of space security and the need for allied preparations.
At the 2024 NATO summit, NATO should enhance its role as a coordinating hub for space-faring allies at the strategic level. NATO should consider establishing a space committee and a NATO-EU space task force. Operationally, NATO should enhance allied space domain awareness and build a common allied space domain picture. NATO should also include space capability requirements in the NATO Defence Planning Process and adopt an interoperable-by-design approach for its space architecture.
NATO needs to think more openly and proactively about space deterrence and defense, especially in response to Russia’s use of electronic warfare and space-based nuclear weapons. Failing to act risks falling short of a mature NATO space enterprise at a critical time.
