https://spacewatch.global/space-geopolitics/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Fri, 06 Nov 2026 11:55:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpaceWatchGlobal-Sign-90x90.png https://spacewatch.global/space-geopolitics/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2026/11/space-cafe-law-breakfast-with-dr-ingo-baumann-with-steven-freeland/ Fri, 06 Nov 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79866 Steven Freeland hands the Space Café “Law Breakfast” over to new host Dr. Ingo Baumann. Together with Torsten Kriening, they discuss COPUOS, draft principles for space resources, military space and deterrence, the EU Space Act, and Germany’s national space law.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/11/spacewatchgl-gray-space-democrats-sweep-both-u-s-congressional-chambers-space-and-defence-now-what/ Fri, 06 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79937
Written by Christophe Bosquillon
The Democrats have swept both chambers of the U.S. Congress. But what does that mean for American space and defence policy? Christophe Bosquillon examines the implications for NASA, the Space Force, Golden Dome and Pentagon spending, and considers what the political shift means for Europe.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/11/alexander-macdonald-takes-helm-of-canadian-space-agency-following-nasa-career/ Fri, 06 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79904 Alexander MacDonald, former chief economist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has been appointed president of the Canadian Space Agency, succeeding Lisa Campbell, who has led the agency since September 2020. Canada's Minister of Industry, Mélanie Joly, announced the appointment on 4 November 2026, following an open, competency-based selection process.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/11/spacewatchgl-opinion-bailouts-billions-and-satellites-europes-space-defence-illusion/ Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79759
Written by K.-P. Ludwig.
Europe is spending billions on space security, yet national programmes, industrial interests and fragmented architectures continue to pull in different directions. K.-P. asks whether Europe is building genuine defence capability – or an increasingly expensive target catalogue.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/11/spacewatchgl-opinion-europes-window-on-the-world-is-wide-open-thats-the-problem/ Mon, 02 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79453
Written by Torsten Kriening .
At IABG’s 3rd Space Symposium in Ottobrunn, Nicolaus Hanowski, ESA’s incoming Director of Space Operations, nailed ten theses to the church door: ten on the strengths of Europe’s Earth observation, ten on its vulnerabilities. Torsten Kriening was in the room. The diagnosis is right; the cure is too gentle.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/11/eib-and-deutsche-bank-launch-e560-million-financing-initiative-for-european-space-companies/ Mon, 02 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79695 The European Investment Bank and Deutsche Bank have agreed a new financing partnership to back €560 million in investment across Europe's space industry. The initiative aims to help European space businesses expand their operations, bring new technologies to market and strengthen the continent's independent space capabilities by improving access to affordable, long-term capital.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/sdsc-2026-clemence-poirier-on-tracking-cyber-attacks-against-space-systems/ Sat, 31 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79644 From the Software-Defined Space Conference in Tallinn, ETH Zurich’s Clémence Poirier joins Daniela Jovic to explain how she tracks claims of cyber attacks against space companies through open sources, what the threat landscape really looks like, and why the sector may need fewer frameworks and better implementation.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/sdsc-2026-a-sandbox-for-space-threats-mari-allik-of-spaceit-on-testing-before-you-launch/ Sat, 31 Oct 2026 17:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79647 From the Software-Defined Space Conference in Tallinn, Spaceit COO Mari Allik joins Daniela Jovic to explain the ESA-backed Space Cyber Range for testing attack scenarios before launch, and a 16U CubeSat with a quarter of its mission open to anyone wanting to fly code in orbit.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/kristiina-omri-of-cybexer-on-cyber-ranges-space-and-why-europe-should-skip-a-generation/ Sat, 31 Oct 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79649 From CybExer’s office in Tallinn, VP of Special Programs Kristiina Omri joins Daniela Jovic to explain how cyber ranges let organisations test attacks against a digital twin of their own technology, why preparedness is like going to the gym, and how Europe could leapfrog rather than copy.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/spacewatchgl-gray-space-halloween-special-trick-or-trade-how-flipping-the-starshield-kill-switch-over-ukraine-eventually-backfired/ Fri, 30 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79601
Written by Christophe Bosquillon.
A sudden restriction on Ukraine’s Starshield access exposed an uncomfortable question about battlefield connectivity: who ultimately controls critical space infrastructure? Christophe Bosquillon examines the political fallout in Washington, Europe’s alternatives and the risks of relying on commercial systems in wartime.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/vyoma-brings-flamingo-1-germanys-first-space-based-sda-telescope-into-operation/ Fri, 30 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79618 Vyoma has begun routine operations with Flamingo-1, its first space-based space surveillance and tracking satellite. The spacecraft is designed to observe objects across different orbital regions, generating imagery that can help satellite operators and government customers monitor activity in space. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/spacewatchgl-recap-fifteen-minutes-from-orbit-and-the-bottleneck-is-us/ Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79495
Written by Torsten Kriening.
At the opening of the Defence Lab Erding, Germany’s space reconnaissance chain was on full display, from satellite to decision. The military’s benchmark is 15 minutes. The bottleneck, says Major General Dr. Volker Pötzsch of the Cyber and Information Domain Service, is not in orbit: “That’s us, as humans.”]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/vietnam-joins-artemis-accords-as-the-country-seeks-to-expand-its-space-capabilities/ Thu, 29 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79549 Vietnam has become the 78th signatory to the Artemis Accords. Minister of Science and Technology Vũ Hải Quân signed the agreement on October 28 during Vietnam International Digital Week in Ha Long, with U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Jennifer Wicks attending the ceremony. The signing extends the U.S.–Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into civil space exploration as Vietnam seeks to strengthen its domestic space technology capabilities.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/spacewatchgl-recap-germany-stops-whispering-about-space-defence/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 09:30:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79493
Written by Torsten Kriening.
At IABG’s 3rd Space Symposium in Ottobrunn, Germany stopped whispering about space defence. The Chief of the German Air and Space Force said Germany will strike back if attacked, announced a Luftwaffe space unit and admitted that the €35 billion, earmarked for military space, is already largely spoken for. Torsten Kriening was in the room: the doctrine is public, the red lines are not.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/deftech-day-2026-dr-volker-potzsch-on-the-nervous-system-of-the-german-armed-forces/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79526 From DefTech Day 2026 in Erding, Major General Dr. Volker Pötzsch, Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr’s Cyber and Information Domain Service, joins Torsten Kriening to explain why data is not information, how Germany’s data lake turns space-based sensing into decisions, and why the real bottleneck is human.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/the-u-s-defense-intelligence-agency-highlights-growing-threats-to-space-security-in-new-security-report/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79499 The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has warned that expanding counterspace capabilities, closer cooperation among strategic competitors, and growing reliance on commercial satellite systems are creating new challenges for space security. Released on October 26, the 2026 edition of Challenges to Security in Space is the third in the DIA’s series of unclassified reports assessing the military space strategies, capabilities, and intentions of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/himera-gomspace-advance-ukraines-independent-satellite-communications-initiative-with-obria-nano/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79512 Ukraine’s HIMERA and Denmark’s GomSpace have begun testing OBRIA NANO, the first test satellite for a planned independent Ukrainian satellite communications network. Launched on October 1 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission, the spacecraft is conducting technical tests intended to inform the design of the future system. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/deftech-day-2026-daniel-seidel-of-liveeo-on-germanys-first-truly-sovereign-imagery-capability/ Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79442 From DefTech Day 2026 in Erding, LiveEO co-founder Daniel Seidel joins Torsten Kriening to discuss the new alliance with Airbus, IABG and IBM Germany, demonstrate 3D terrain models built from satellite data in minutes, and explain why Germany still lacks its own commercial high-resolution optical imagery capability.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/spacewatchgl-gray-space-cosmos-2612-vs-iceye-x36-washington-spoke-where-was-nato/ Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79393
Written by Christophe Bosquillon.
A Russian satellite manoeuvred into extreme proximity with ICEYE-X36, prompting warnings from commercial space trackers and, eventually, Washington. Christophe Bosquillon asks why the encounter has yet to produce a comparable collective response from NATO.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/spacewatchgl-gray-space-there-is-something-not-rotten-in-the-state-of-denmark-its-views-on-how-european-governments-could-turn-space-ambitions-into-capabilities/ Fri, 23 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79331
Written by Christophe Bosquillon.
What turns an ambitious space strategy into actual capability? Looking at a new Danish study of six European countries, Christophe Bosquillon explores why budgets, procurement and institutional authority may matter more than whether a country has a space agency.]]>