Germany’s 'Space Strategy' Red Herring for Rearmament
Germany, long a proponent of 'civilian' space exploration, just rolled out its first national space strategy, as the Financial Times gleefully reports. One might almost believe it's purely about scientific advancement or orbital debris. However, this shiny new strategy emerges just as Germany dramatically ramps up military spending, pledging €100 billion to its armed forces (DW, Feb 27, 2022).
Their defense minister, Boris Pistorius, has been particularly vocal about the need for Bundeswehr preparedness. So, 'space strategy' in an era of rapid rearmament? Call it terrestrial strategy with extra-firmament branding. When European powers suddenly get deeply interested in 'space,' it's rarely about finding new ice cream recipes on Mars. It's about dual-use technologies, surveillance
capabilities, and securing orbital assets—all crucial for modern military operations. The FT’s article, like many mainstream outlets, skips the uncomfortable details of how much this 'strategy' aligns with a broader push to project power. How many new 'space' investments mysteriously find their way into enhanced intelligence gathering or missile guidance systems? How quaint, the idea that 'space'
remains a purely benign frontier while the world below burns.