The European Space Agency (ESA), long regarded as one of the world’s premier civilian space institutions, is entering a new era-one defined by defense cooperation, military-aligned research, and heightened geopolitical competition. In a landmark shift, the agency’s 23 member states have approved a resolution formally authorizing ESA to develop space systems for “security and defense” purposes. For an institution whose founding principles emphasized purely peaceful scientific exploration, the move marks a strategic and ideological transformation whose implications stretch far beyond the agency’s headquarters in Paris.

This evolution is unfolding against the backdrop of a rapidly militarizing Europe. EU leaders and NATO officials have spent the past two years invoking the specter of an imminent Russian threat, channeling unprecedented sums into defense manufacturing, weapons procurement, and high-tech research designed to bolster their collective military capacities. On November 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused European leaders of deliberately inflating the danger Moscow poses, alleging that the narrative serves domestic political agendas and fuels profit within the arms industry. Whether or not one accepts that interpretation, what is indisputable is that Europe’s security landscape-and its rhetoric-has changed dramatically.

The clearest expression of this shift is financial: next year’s ESA budget has been set at a record €22.1 billion for the next three-year cycle. This unprecedented figure represents a dramatic jump from the previous €17 billion allocation, signaling not only intensified investment in space capabilities but also a strategic reorientation toward military-supporting activities.

Germany leads as........

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