In focus: New Space Race gains momentum

Military presence in space can be used to assert terrestrial interests and exercise global dominance. For countries such as China and Russia, astral supremacy is therefore both a strategic goal and a driving force - with far-reaching consequences: 

• Space is increasingly becoming a central domain of geopolitical strategies - very much in the spirit of a space cold war.
• A new military space race has recently begun in the background - with high stakes and increasing intensity. 

The focus is primarily on the increasing vulnerability of orbital infrastructure, especially complex satellite systems. Other drivers behind the massive arms race in space are commercial interests and rivalry for future markets, technological progress, falling costs of space travel and the principle of free access rights. After all, in space, the law of the jungle is what counts, especially as the 1967 Outer Space Treaty is increasingly proving to be unsuitable for resolving today's conflicts in space.  

The increased focus of China and other unfriendly players on space is also leading to noticeable shifts in power and completely new threat scenarios on Earth. 

The FERI Institute has conducted an in-depth analysis of the dimensions involved. You can download the German analysis „Space Cold War“: Massive Militarisierung des Weltraums als globales Risiko as a global risk in the download area of this page. Also worth reading in this context is the Cognitive Briefing “New Space”: Space as the economic area of the future.