Security in space
How Germany is preparing for star wars
Without satellites in space, chaos reigns on Earth. Therefore, Germany and other European countries wanted to arm themselves against such attacks. What’s the plan?
When powers war between galaxies and stars, it usually means: You’re sitting in front of a screen and watching the “Star Wars” trilogy of galactic films. Today, this is no longer pure science fiction, but reality. Wars are no longer limited to regions like Ukraine or the bottom of the Baltic Sea. In the future, political battles will increasingly take place in space.
Ten years ago, China provoked many things by declaring outer space a new war zone. Since then, Beijing and Moscow have expanded their capabilities to the point of being able to shadow, disrupt, manipulate or even destroy other countries’ satellites. But without high-tech satellites there would be no GPS, no internet connection, no weather forecasts. Without them, radio would not be heard on Earth. Therefore, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius described satellites as “the weak point of modern society”. But how do Germany and Europe want to protect their infrastructure in orbit?
Peace is a concept that is flexible in space
Part of the answer can be found at a summit in Bremen next week: on November 26 and 27, ministers from the 23 member states of the European Space Agency (ESA) will meet there. Among other things, regarding the new budget for space travel. Esa boss Josef Aschbacher asked for at least 22 billion euros before the meeting – knowing full well that the amount could be lower due to, among other things, austerity measures taken by the federal states.
The budget will not only determine the expansion of the Copernicus program – Europe’s prestigious environmental and disaster protection project – and the Ariane 6 project. It will also address security and defense in space – a sensitive topic. The ESA views itself as a civil authority and is therefore committed to the peaceful use of space, which also means no classic military activities in space.
ESA satellite control center in Darmstadt, Hesse © Boris Roessler / DPA
Such a formulation could also be expanded widely, explained Major General Michael Traut of the Bundeswehr Space Command star. “Many space technologies are dual-use in nature. Therefore, peaceful use does not exclude activities that can be used for security and defense.“ESA can also carry out projects that have military uses. Theoretically, any satellite imagery can already be used for military purposes. The only question is whether the European Space Agency wants this.
German plans against attacks in space
The military ambitions of its European partners will at least match those of Germany. Over the years, the Federal Republic has been a member of several international space programs, such as the Joint Space Operations Initiative and Operation Olympic Defender. “Space travel is a team sport,” said the major general. Security experts also stressed that Germany must break away from its dependence on its partners, especially the United States.
The first step in this direction will most likely be the space strategy presented by the black-red coalition a week before the ESA meeting. This sets out a framework for “how we can better protect and defend ourselves in space (…),” explained Defense Minister Pistorius. The plan provides, among other things:
- That Germany would be equipped with sentry satellites and space gliders that could detect and counter approaching enemy maneuvers.
- Devices in space must be equipped with “hardening” against electromagnetic waves.
- The Bundeswehr will receive a laser system to blind other satellites.
- Germany also wants to buy a special radar system from America so it can limit other countries’ communications from land in the event of a crisis.
- The Federal Government wants to strengthen its cooperation with NATO allies and other international partners.
- If infrastructure in space fails, a replacement must be quickly carried into space using small rockets. To achieve this, Germany worked together with the UK and Norway.
- Technologies important for security in space will be increasingly developed in Germany.
Even if this strategy allows for military attacks, the main thing is prevention. The black-red coalition explicitly does not want to purchase a weapons system that could kinetically, that is, physically, destroy other satellites and thereby generate new space debris. The Federal Republic has committed to doing this at the UN. However, Major General Traut did not rule out kinetic effects that could, for example, destroy satellite cameras and greatly limit their functionality. These options were deliberately left open for strategic reasons.
In Europe, Germany is not the first country to implement such a strategy. Poland has had related papers with a military focus since 2017 and has established its own network for space surveillance and tracking, whose data flows into the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking System. Austria, Italy, France and the UK have also developed strategies in recent years. Germany is behind in terms of timing, but in terms of content, it beats its partners’ plans, said Juliana Süß, a military scientist and space policy expert at the German Institute for International Politics and Security. star. “The British strategy, for example, was still very vague in terms of its content and was published before the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine – the threat situation was different at that time.“In this respect, Germany and France probably have the clearest vision of space today.
The Federal Republic also invests more financially than any other country: in early November, President Emmanuel Macron set France’s budget for military space projects at around 10.2 billion euros. Boris Pistorius had promised that his ministry would donate 35 billion dollars over the next five years. According to Major General Traut, ten billion could come from other ministries.
Earthly threats in orbit
The fact that Germany has recently devoted itself to the security of its satellites and that Esa has also included military security on its agenda is also due to the war in Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion, signal interference with GPS satellite-based navigation systems has increased. Security experts believe the incident is part of Russia’s hybrid war against the West.
Weapons in space
Military and space experts distinguish four types of anti-satellite weapons:
- Electronic action interfere with GPS signals by jamming or spoofing (jamming and spoofing).
- On cyber attacks Satellites can be manipulated, spied on, or clamped.
- Kinetic weapons can physically destroy satellites. This is possible with rockets fired from the ground directly at satellites. Russia and China have demonstrated this method on their decommissioned satellites. This also includes missiles with nuclear warheads.
- To non-kinetic weapons including laser beam or particle weapons that permanently blind or damage sensors on satellites. China has such weapons, Russia claims so, and the United States has the conditions to produce such weapons.
Since its inception, outer space has never been a military-free zone. Sputnik was nothing more than a demonstration of Soviet power in the Cold War. Russia is now even said to be tracking and spying on Western satellites. The US government believes Moscow is developing satellites equipped with nuclear warheads and could destroy key parts of civilian satellite infrastructure.
With the commercialization of space, China is also discovering space for itself. Currently, Beijing receives satellite imagery of strategically important places and cities such as Berlin and in recent years has expanded its capabilities to destroy satellites using airborne and ground weapons systems. The country also has electromagnetic interference capabilities that limit or manipulate the use of satellite navigation systems.
Is a new era of European space travel beginning in Bremen?
Due to these developments, the EU wants to implement a European Defense Space Shield program starting next year. This is intended to protect satellite and communications infrastructure. Security experts such as Juliana Süß and Michael Traut also have hope for Esa.
Director General Aschenbacher tried to divert attention from security issues in an interview with the Austrian newspaper “Standard” by emphasizing that climate research and earth observation will continue to be Esa’s most important tasks. One third of the budget was reserved for Copernicus’ earth observation program.
On the other hand, Esa bosses have indicated in the past that Esa should not remain a purely civil authority. Ultimately, decisions regarding military security in outer space are also in the hands of the 23 members. “Don’t forget that each country assesses threats differently and not all countries have the necessary capabilities and infrastructure,” explains military scientist Süß.
For pioneers like Germany, the ministerial meeting in Bremen still provides an opportunity to make their name as advocates for satellite protection along with pioneers like Poland and France.
