Europe Must Close Its Space Gap for Security

2 hours ago7 min read

The stark lesson delivered by Russia’s brazen invasion of Ukraine was a continental wake-up call for Europe: security is a fragile construct, never to be taken for granted or outsourced entirely. Yet, in a baffling paradox of strategic myopia, the European Union is now replicating this very error in the ultimate high ground—the cosmos.We are witnessing a new space race, one defined not by the Cold War's flag-planting pageantry but by the critical infrastructure that now underpins our digital existence, from Galileo's navigation signals to the Sentinel satellites monitoring climate and troop movements. While the United States accelerates with the Artemis program and commercial giants like SpaceX, and China methodically expands its Tiangong station with lunar ambitions, Europe risks becoming a bit player in its own security story.The dependency is already alarming; consider that Europe often relies on foreign launch providers and lacks the autonomous, rapid-response capabilities for satellite replenishment that a modern conflict would demand. Imagine a scenario where GPS is degraded or our eyes in the sky are blinded; the continent's economic and military machinery would stutter to a halt.This isn't mere speculation—it's a foreseeable vulnerability. The void above is no longer a peaceful domain for scientific exploration alone; it's a contested battlespace where jamming, hacking, and even kinetic anti-satellite tests are realities.For Europe to cede this territory is to build its future security on a foundation of sand, ignoring the cosmic lessons of history where technological supremacy has always dictated geopolitical dominance. We must channel the spirit of visionaries who looked to the stars not just for knowledge, but for survival, and forge an independent, resilient, and ambitious path into the final frontier, because in the 21st century, security is synonymous with space capability.

#editorial picks news

#European Union

#space race

#security

#Russia

#Ukraine

#satellites

#defense

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