Space activities are a generic term for human activities in space, usually defined as all activities occurring more than 100 kilometres from Earth. There are 11 space states, i.e. countries that have launched their own satellites into orbit with their own launchers. About 30 countries already have their own satellites in space.

France

The French Space Defence Centre (Commandement de l’Espace, CdE) is a body of the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’air et de l’espace) command unit, established in 2010. Although France’s space budget has not increased since the early 2000s, it remains the largest among the member countries of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the second largest (after the United States), totalling €2.33 billion.

France has long had a space programme and military satellites but has only recently developed offensive and defensive space capabilities. France’s first space defence strategy (2019) illustrates this development.

https://www.defense.gouv.fr/cde

The UK

The UK Space Command is the Armed forces’ Space Operations Command, based in RAF High Wycombe. It employs personnel from the Navy, and from the Land and Air Forces. Space Command collects, analyses and evaluates space data to support British and Allied forces. The operations centre monitors the safety of its own satellites and orbital events, including possible satellite collisions and the return of objects to the atmosphere.

Through its programmes, the UK Space Agency supports investments in the space sector, the implementation of space missions and capabilities, and the defence of space. For example, the LaunchUK programme is a British satellite launch programme that helps to increase Britain’s market for small satellites and low trajectories.

https://www.raf.mod.uk/what-we-do/uk-space-command/

Germany

The German Space Defence Centre (Weltraumkommando) was founded in Uedem in 2021 and utilizes the capabilities of the Air Force and cyber and information domain experts. According to the Ministry of Defence, the armed forces are responding to the growing importance of space for the country’s operational capabilities, the well-being of the population and the military’s growing dependence on space-based information, services, and products. The Centre cooperates with the German Aerospace Centre, DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.).

The German Aerospace Centre is both a space agency and an aeronautics and space technology research institute. Germany is ESA’s second largest donor.

https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisation/luftwaffe/aktuelles/das-weltraumkommando-in-uedem-5181718

Italy

The Italian Space Operations Command (Comando delle Operazioni Spaziali, COS) was founded in 2020 and is the joint space command of the armed forces. Its mission is to strengthen and defend national space capabilities and to effectively integrate the military’s space-based services into its operations. COS operates military satellites such as Sicral 1B, Sicral 2, Athena-Fidus, OPTSAT-3000 and COSMO-SkyMed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Operations_Command_(Italy)

Canada

The 3rd Canadian Space Division (3 CSD) of the Canadian armed forces is responsible for providing space capabilities to support operations. 3 CSD is a unit under the Commander of the Canadian Air Force and is responsible for space situational awareness, and space-based support for military operations both at home and abroad. 3 CSD will defend and protect military space capabilities in cooperation with its allies and partners. It reached full operational capability in 2022. The 3 CSD Headquarters includes the Advanced Space Effects Flight (ASE), which is responsible for cooperation with national and international space allies and partners. 7 Wing (Space) operates under the 3 CSD commander.

https://www.canada.ca/en/air-force/corporate/3-canadian-space-division.html

India

India has more than 50 years of experience in space activities – mainly non-military activities. Only in recent years have the armed forces been developed to become active users of space capabilities and to create military space capabilities. India demonstrated its ASAT capability in 2019 by destroying one of its own satellites. In July 2019, India conducted its first simulated space warfare exercise, called IndSpaceEx. The goal was to obtain an assessment of space threats and establish a common doctrine of space warfare.

The Defence Space Agency (DSA) is a joint agency of the Indian Army, located in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The agency’s mission is to conduct India’s space warfare and satellite reconnaissance. The DSA has employed staff from all three services.

In 2006, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) drew up its first proposal to send a human into space, thus precipitating the development of the necessary infrastructure and spacecraft. To date, the ISRO has developed most of the necessary technologies, such as a crew module and rescue system, and space victualling and life support systems. The ISRO Technical Liaison Unit (ITLU) was to be established in Moscow to facilitate the development of some key technologies and the construction of special equipment. In July 2023, ISRO sent the Chandrayaan-3, a spacecraft carrying a landing probe and a rover, from the Sriharikota Space Centre to the Moon. The object of study is the south pole of the Moon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISRO

Iran

The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) is the state space agency of Iran. Iran has an initial space programme that includes building and launching small-sized satellites, but the capability is limited. The first Iranian satellite was successfully launched in 2009. Iran has made known its ability to interfere with commercial satellite signals. Iran’s space and ballistic missile systems are estimated to be based on technology from Russia and North Korea. Much of the technological development is related to the development of a launcher for medium-range missiles. Iran’s space programme has been run by Iran’s Ministry of Defence.

Japan

Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was formed in 2003. Japan is an established space actor, but its space activities have been entirely non-military. In 2008, Japan amended its constitution to enable space activities related to national security, and recently there have been discussions about the development of space capabilities or military space situational awareness (SSA) capabilities. Military space activities will be restructured, and SSA capabilities will be improved to support military and civilian applications.

North Korea

North Korea’s official space agency is the National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA). It has already sent two satellites into orbit, in 2012 and 2016. But it is unclear whether they have any functionality. North Korea’s space capabilities are linked to the development of ballistic missiles. The country has not proven its ability to attack targets in space, but it does have the ability to interfere with civilian GPS signals in a limited geographic area. North Korean state media announced in April 2023 that the country has built its first spy satellite and is preparing to launch it.