By Torsten Kriening, Co-Founder and Publisher
Berlin, 2 September 2025. – Today, we celebrate a milestone. Ten years ago, on 2 September 2015, in Bern, Switzerland, a bold idea took shape—one rooted in curiosity, clarity, and a belief in the power of space to shape our world. That idea became SpaceWatch Middle East—now SpaceWatch.Global—and it has grown from a niche blog into a respected platform for independent, international space journalism.
But to understand the journey, we need to go back further—to a log drive across the Arabian Peninsula.
Origins in the Desert: Write What You Want to Read
The story began on 8 May 2013, somewhere between Abu Dhabi and Muscat, where Dr. John Sheldon and I were driving to give a lecture at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. The desert heat shimmered off the highway as our conversation turned to the rising space ambitions of Middle Eastern countries.
We noticed a gap—not in launchers or satellites, but in stories. While the region’s space programmes were advancing rapidly, few were asking hard questions or offering context. No one was connecting the dots between space and strategy, policy and power.
And so, a principle was born: “Let’s write what we’d like to read.” That sentence became our editorial compass—and it remains so today.
In 2015, we launched SpaceWatch Middle East, a publication focused on geopolitical developments in the region, from Israel to Iran. While others watched launchpads, we watched diplomacy, technology partnerships, and military posture.
From Bern to Berlin: A Platform Evolves
To support the editorial work, we founded ThorGroup GmbH, which served as our base for several formative years. But like the sector we cover, our ambition grew.
By 2021, it was time for a reset. We closed ThorGroup and restructured. One year later, we relaunched with a new founding team as SpaceWatch.Global GmbH, headquartered in Berlin—a conscious move to the heart of European diplomacy and discourse. It was more than a legal change; it was a recommitment to our values, now on a global stage.
With that transition came a wider scope. Today, we provide analysis on the entire space ecosystem—from national and commercial space strategies, launch and satellite infrastructure, and space law and policy, to cybersecurity, dual-use technologies, and the growing challenges of orbital congestion and militarisation.
We publish under the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, and we believe independence, expertise, and integrity matter—especially in a world flooded with noise, spin, and financial pressure.
The Pandemic Pivot: Innovation in Crisis
Like the rest of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged us. Events were cancelled. Travel froze. Media pipelines stalled.
We didn’t pause—we pivoted.
In 2020, we launched Space Café, our flagship webinar series that connects global voices in real time. That was quickly followed by new formats like the “33 Minutes With…” series for high-impact interviews, the Space Law Breakfasts that opened new ground in legal dialogue, as well as our long-form Space Café Podcast and Radio, and short-form Space Café Clips.
These weren’t just stopgaps. They became part of our identity—agile, digital, and personal. With Space Café Regional formats now held in over 25 countries, we’ve built a global footprint that brings local perspectives into the international conversation.
Today, we continue that momentum with live broadcasts from major international events such as the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), ILA Berlin, the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, GEOINT, the UK Space Conference, and many others. From Geneva to Singapore, from Brussels to Bangalore, we show up, tune in, and report with purpose.
A New Logo for a New Decade
To mark our tenth anniversary, we’ve introduced a refreshed SpaceWatch.Global logo. It’s clearer, more legible from a distance, and optimized for modern screens—without sacrificing our brand identity.
This is not a rebrand. It’s a refinement. Because when your reputation is built on trust, clarity, and consistency, you don’t need to shout. You just need to stay sharp.
Powered by People: The SpaceWatch Community
SpaceWatch.Global is more than a media company. It’s a community—of analysts, journalists, lawyers, engineers, thinkers, and readers who believe space is too important to be reduced to slogans or soundbites.
Our team includes policy experts, tech storytellers, legal minds, and regional observers, all working toward a shared mission:
That space should serve humanity—and that the stories we tell about it must be grounded in truth, foresight, and context.
To every contributor, editor, intern, podcast guest, event partner, administrator, shareholder and of course to our readers: thank you. You are the orbit around which this mission turns.
Why We Still Need Real Space Journalism
The space sector is growing—fast, global, and complex. And yet, public understanding of space remains limited.
Agencies often struggle to communicate why space matters. Messaging is sometimes reduced to slogans, and certain commercial actors prioritise spectacle over substance.
That’s where we come in.
SpaceWatch.Global exists to deliver real stories, with real context, for real decision-makers.
We write for those shaping policy, regulating orbits, building infrastructure, investing in capability, and securing systems that ripple far beyond orbit.
We are not a hype machine.
We don’t chase headlines.
We focus on accuracy, analysis, and authenticity.
Looking Ahead: A Voice That Carries
Our future lies in expanding our reach and deepening our impact. We are growing our contributor network, delivering curated intelligence briefings, publishing deeper analysis reports, and developing new multimedia formats. We’re also forming new partnerships across the media landscape—and exploring the possibility of hosting a Space Summit of our own.
Because space needs a voice. And one of those voices is SpaceWatch.Global.
We believe the next decade will shape how space is governed, used, and protected. And we intend to be there—reporting with the same clarity and care that brought us here.
A Personal Note
As co-founder and publisher, this milestone is personal.
I remember posting our first stories by hand.
I remember persuading contributors.
I remember designing the early pages, securing the first press badge—and surviving early setbacks.
But most of all, I remember the why.
Because space matters.
And how we talk about space matters even more.
To everyone who has joined us on this journey—thank you.
Here’s to the next ten years—of truth, insight, and impact.
To the horizon and beyond—with SpaceWatch.Global.
