Space Safety and Security Strategy adopted in German Cabinet – action areas in security and defence, business opportunities and economic potential

On 19 November 2025, the German government adopted a Space Safety and Security Strategy for Germany in the cabinet for the first time. The strategy sets out action areas for responding to the changed astropolitical environment, with the aim of ensuring and securing Germany’s ability to act in space in both the civilian and military sectors. On this basis, the space domain is to be systematically integrated into national and collective defence. The Space Safety and Security Strategy can provide unique opportunities for companies due to its interdisciplinary approach. By proactively integrating and adapting projects to existing or new value chains, they can make sure that they take the best possible advantage of these.

The Space Safety and Security Strategy is divided into four parts. At the beginning, the security and defence domain of space is outlined. The strategic action areas in which the German government would like to become active (including in an EU-wide context) are then identified. Finally, the development of a national space safety and security architecture is outlined, making specific proposals for how they should be implemented.

Based on the security policy domain of space (see A.), this article shows which action areas the German government has identified in order to implement its adopted strategy (see B.). We go on to focus on the substantial potential for business development arising from this and categorise it against the background of the additional legislation that will affect these action areas over the next few years (see C.). Finally, we summarise where the greatest economic opportunities exist (see D.)

A. Security and defence policy dimension of space

Space and its use are a necessary and indispensable basis for freedom, prosperity and security for every modern and technology-driven society. Up to now, the legal framework for this has been provided by international law.

I. Legal framework for use of space

The central normative basis for the use of space has remained essentially unchanged for decades since the Outer Space Treaty came into being in 1967. Under international law, outer space was declared a province of all mankind. As a sovereignty-free common space, outer space is consequently exempt from appropriation by individual states and the exercise of unilateral sovereignty.

Alongside this, the Outer Space Treaty established the principle of peaceful use of outer space in accordance with international law for the first time – without, however, ruling out its military use (see Article IV of the treaty). According to the prevailing view and state practice, however, the concept of peaceful use is not interpreted as “non-military”, but only as “non-aggressive”, meaning that the right to individual and collective self-defence of every state under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations specifically also applies in space.

II. Current geopolitical challenges

This long-standing normative framework is meanwhile faced by new political and economic realities that are opening up a new security-related dimension. The German government identified space as increasingly becoming an arena for astropolitical ambitions: the endeavours of individual states to dominate space are accompanied by further research and interest in the extraction and use of resources such as rare earths. Parallel to this, the rapid rise in civilian and commercial use of space observed from the early 21st century, including by private actors, is having an impact on how established state actors use space.

At the same time, use of space is essential for everyday and military security. In recent years, space has become a key security, economic and geopolitical domain for Germany. Space-based and space-assisted services are an integral part of everyday life. They are necessary for positioning, navigation, communication and timing, and even for determining weather and earth observation data. In addition to civilian applications, space-based services have long since become indispensable for civil protection and military infrastructure and likewise for security and defence policy decisions. A failure of these services would have serious consequences not only for the economy and society, but also for security policy. This is especially true for data-based and connected industrial and information societies.

Against the backdrop of increasing global competition in space and growing threats such as interference with GPS signals, the German government has recognised the need for a state strategy to protect this infrastructure. As the dependence of society and the economy on space-based services is growing, space security is becoming a core task of security policy. The current geopolitical tensions, which are increasingly shifting to space, underline the urgent need for coordinated and effective action. The current military threat from Russia is leading to a drastic deterioration in the security environment in Europe. On main focus is the country’s current geostrategic claim to space. This can be seen, among other things, in the kinetic destruction of satellites and the restriction, disruption and manipulation of data and services generated by satellites and the regular jamming of satellite signals since the war of aggression against Ukraine. According to the German government, Russia is deliberately factoring the dependence of high-tech armed forces on space-based data, services and products into its operational planning. It points out that an expansion of similar capabilities can also be observed in China.

The Space Safety and Security Strategy is the first national strategy to deal with challenges, risks and threats in space, to draw specific conclusions for Germany’s space security and safety and to outline initial specific strategic action areas in response to these threats. This strategy builds on the findings and objectives of the government’s National Security Strategy and Space Strategy, both of which were published in 2023, and forms the basis for Germany’s role as a responsible actor in space. It sets guardrails for future political decisions by the legislature which are already opening up business opportunities and economic potential that will be crucial going forward.

III. Building a national space safety and security architecture

The central goal is to build a national space safety and security architecture securing unrestricted access to space, reducing dependencies and effectively protecting space-based communication and navigation systems from attacks. In conjunction with a dynamic and broad research sector, the strategy is ultimately intended to protect freedom and security.

The strategy systematically anchors the space domain in the security and defence plans of Germany and its alliances. Close cooperation with NATO allies and other European and international partners is therefore another central pillar. At a European level, integration of the capabilities of the Member States is to be strengthened and contribute to European technological independence. While building a space security architecture not only serves the national interest, it is therefore also a German contribution to supporting the European Union and NATO. To this end, space-related international law in particular is to be expanded to strengthen the peaceful and rules-based use of space.

Closer ties between the space and security -related ministries and increased cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Defence (Bundesministerium der Verteidigung) (“Defence Ministry”) and the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt) are also planned in order to ensure effective consultation and decision making where required.

In a German publication dated 19 November 2025, the Defence Ministry announced investments of €35 billion for aerospace and space safety and security up to 2030 in order to build such a national space security architecture. The investments will primarily be used to build up Germany’s own resilient satellite constellations, ground stations and protected launch capabilities, as well as to strengthen cyber security and situational awareness in space using radar systems, telescopes and sentinel satellites.

B. Strategic action areas

The Space Safety and Security Strategy defines three strategic action areas:

• identify and analyse risks and threats in space,
• promote international cooperation and sustainable order in space,
• build a resilient space infrastructure to act as a deterrent.

The Space Safety and Security Strategy is characterised by its interdisciplinary approach and the way in which it addresses all aspects of the challenges. The action areas create room for “interministerial” work. An important basic idea of the strategy is integrated cooperation, through which space safety and security is declared to be a “whole-of-government” task. Civilian, state, commercial and military actors are to be involved together with allies and partners. The German government wants to promote innovation, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups, and in this way strengthen Germany’s systems expertise and technological independence.

C. Business potential

These strategic and political objectives of the German government offer a wide range of potential opportunities, challenges and new impulses for many industries and business fields. The Space Safety and Security Strategy presents explicit, pioneering approaches for implementation which directly open up highly relevant and attractive areas of activity for business and industry. We provide an overview of these below, categorising the key fields offering potential for business:

I. Procurement of infrastructure

From a procurement and public contracting perspective, the Space Safety and Security Strategy opens up a wide-ranging field of action that offers industrial and innovative tech companies unprecedented opportunities. One explicit focus of the strategy is to support a responsive, resilient and innovative space industry, including through the regular awarding of contracts by sovereign customers. The procurement of space-based early warning, reconnaissance, surveillance and tracking systems across all speed and altitude bands, including rockets, satellites, HAPS (high-altitude platform stations) and hypersonic flight systems, is envisaged.

But not only the regular awarding of contracts by public bodies entails potential sales. These will be given extra leverage by the planned cooperation between the public and private sectors, which is to be intensified over the coming years. To achieve this, far-reaching public-private demand, procurement, operation, provision and marketing strategies are to be developed to cover the needs of the security authorities. At the same time, further comprehensive strategies are to be developed to ensure military control and the prioritised provision of services and products for the German armed forces, civil protection and other state actors in the event of a crisis.

At this juncture where security-policy-driven public-law requirements and the private sector meet, while potential economic gains will emerge, there will also be challenges. These include how to effectively map out and consider the astropolitical relationships in each specific case.

At the same time, government is also relying on European partners in its strategy for procurement processes and standardisation, the. Thus Germany’s role as an actor in multilateral forums such as NATO or the European Union remains significant.

II. Defence sector

The Space Safety and Security Strategy describes the expansion of Germany's defence capabilities in space. Effectively strengthening the defence sector is a central focus of the strategy – also in the interests of deterrence capability and building resilient structures. The focus is on maintaining, developing and strengthening the ability to operate, protect and defend Germany’s own national space infrastructure and the European space infrastructure, especially on achieving the capability for military space operations. Another priority is enabling cyber operations and electromagnetic spectrum operations in the space domain.

The space domain is being systematically integrated into defence planning. The government is working towards military use of heavy launchers and microlaunchers, reusable spaceplanes, new propulsion technologies, on-orbit logistics and multifunctional large satellite constellations. Such technologies provide improved flexibility, agility, sustainability and strategic depth for resilient military operations in space. By refining and integrating these technologies, Germany intends to enhance surveillance, communication and defence capabilities.

Satellite systems in particular, but also other space safety and security products, are often classified as dual-use goods, since they are used in both the civilian and military sectors. This means that they are already subject to more extensive regulation under European law, which sets out authorisation requirements and procedures for exports, transfers, technical support, transit and transport of these products. Legal challenges for companies arise especially from the fact that export controls and investment screening are to be applied specifically to dual-use products and developed further in the light of the Space Safety and Security Strategy.

The defence industry is a primary focus of high-value funding projects envisaged as part of the Space Safety and Security Strategy. This will open up significant economic prospects for the industry, especially in cooperation with public stakeholders in projects addressing technology and innovation in the defence sector.

III. Financial sector as a driving force

With its planned landmark funding schemes and the provision of substantial funding, the federal government is acknowledging the steep costs of strategic space research and development. At the same time, the strategy makes it clear that involving private investors who provide private financing is an essential and indispensable component. In this context, the space strategy addresses the New Space Community, which is particularly active in Germany as a high-tech country and comprises the global community of internationally established companies and especially investors and start-ups.

Private equity capital plays a central role in supporting and driving investments in space technologies and in the components of defence and deterrence in space and the research, testing and deployment of new types of satellites. Due to the wide variety of technological fields and the rapid progress in technical innovation characterising military defence capabilities, Germany must (in a European and NATO alliance context) not just keep pace, but also wishes to assume a global leadership role in the coming years. In addition to the long-established companies in the defence industry (German companies being leaders in this field), which will be one of the cornerstones of successful implementation, this will also depend on highly innovative and specialised start-ups. This will result in promising and future-oriented opportunities for all forms of investment – especially venture capital. It is clear that the financial sector is not just a spectator but a mid-field player which, as a driver of growth and investment, determines whether objectives will succeed and offers far-reaching economic opportunities.

IV. Research and development

A necessary requirement for the sustained success of the Space Safety and Security Strategy is an integrated approach to strengthening research and development in order to reduce existing dependencies and reinforce technological leads. For this purpose, support for an active, innovative research landscape is envisaged as an inherent core component of the strategy. Substantial financial support is to be provided, especially for developing new and resilient key technologies and satellites, in the form of funding and subsidies. The intention is that these pathways to innovation will make a key contribution to the country’s technological sovereignty.

The German government is paying particular attention to strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups. The Space Innovation Hub at the German Space Agency is to be supported as a key platform for connecting space players, investors and the public sector. The main objective of the Space Innovation Hub is to provide German providers of space services and public sector users with faster access to innovative space technologies and services in order to increase competitiveness.

Institutional research funding by the German government and sponsored research projects are to provide an important foundation for this. A framework set by the state and public funding, in combination with private-sector investment, are referred to as being key to successful research.

D. Summary and outlook on economic opportunities

The Space Safety and Security Strategy represents an important first step towards a clear regulatory and strategic investment framework for space-related sectors under defence and security policy. The government is addressing the special security challenges created by increasing use of and dependence on space infrastructure. This is to be welcomed in view of the increasing shift of geopolitical tensions to space, which will continue to increase in the years to come.

The strategy contains clear lines of action that may have an impact on a wide range of sectors when implemented. Apart from public stakeholders, the entire defence and security industry is being called on to play its part. The close links to security and defence policy issues as well as the far-reaching opportunities for private involvement and financing will create real economic opportunities. However, this also brings highly complex legal challenges which must be taken into account especially in the unique context of space.

It is unclear how quickly the various steps will be implemented. Developing satellite constellations, launch infrastructure, ground stations and protected networks is technically complex, costly and requires close coordination between government, industry and research. Above all, it remains to be seen whether the public investments planned up to now will be sufficient to realise the ambitious plans swiftly. The provision of sizeable funding by the public sector and the leveraging of these effects through private investment and financing will play a key role in this.

Substantial expenditure and commitment appropriations for investment in national space infrastructure are also planned in the special debt fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality (see our Noerr Insight series of articles, most recently on 23 November 2025 (in German only) in the 2025 budget and 2026 budget. The budget committee recently approved (in German only) the release of these funds, which were previously blocked under budget law.

Based on the Space Safety and Security Strategy, new legislation and a proliferation of regulations is to be expected. At the level of the European Union, a need for regulation of space has also been recognised. After a common European approach was set out in the White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030 (see our Noerr Insight dated 30 June 2025), the draft Space Act presented in June 2025 (see our Noerr Insight dated 7 July 2025), which however does not apply to space objects used solely for defence purposes, is also intended to counter inconsistent regulations at national level and harmonise the approval and registration of space activities and their supervision.

Interested companies and investors should be keeping close tabs on how things develop, especially the launching of investment projects and funding schemes and the establishment of regular public procurement processes. By preparing themselves at an early stage (and drawing on all-round legal expertise) they will be able to take advantage of the substantial economic potential. We will continue to report on the latest aspects and regulatory developments in future Noerr Insights.