Speech by the Minister of Defence at the International Space Summit

On September 10, 2026, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius spoke at the International Space Summit in Paris about the security policy challenges posed by the space domain. He invited allies to participate in the joint development of capabilities.

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Madam Minister, Catherine [Vautrin],
Pål [Jonson],
Commissioner Kubilius,
colleagues,
ladies and gentlemen,

Before I begin, allow me to briefly address our hosts in their native beautiful language.
Pour moi, revenir en France, c’est toujours un peu comme rentrer chez moi.
J’ai passé une partie de mes études dans ce merveilleux pays, et depuis lors, mes voyages, tant personnels que professionnels, m’ont toujours ramené en France.
Bref: La France est devenue mon deuxième chez-moi.
C’est donc un grand plaisir et un grand honneur pour moi de pouvoir m’adresser à vous aujourd’hui lors de ce sommet à Paris. Merci beaucoup.

Throughout their long and shared history, France and Germany have learned that European strength is not rooted in acting alone. It is rooted in coming together and joining forces.
We share the responsibility to find common answers. Today’s summit is one of those answers. And space is one of those challenges.

For decades, we have looked at space as a domain of exploration, scientific progress, and economic opportunity.
But one thing has changed fundamentally:
Space has become a central part domain of international of global security. 
Russia’s war against Ukraine is a painful example of how space and cyberspace can add a new, dramatic and decisive dimension to conventional military operations.
Space is no longer a safe haven.
We must defend our interests and remain true to ourselves as Europeans.
What do I mean by that?
Europe stands for the peaceful and responsible use of space, for international law, transparency, and clear rules.
As you may know, we Germans love rules. But rules can be broken. Rules alone will not protect freedom and peace. Capabilities will.

With the European Defence Industry Programme, Europe has made great progress in developing its space capabilities over the past several years.
With “IRIS Square”, Europe is strengthening its ability to provide secure and resilient connectivity.
These are important steps. But we need to pick up the pace.
Our goal is clear: Europe needs the full range of capabilities to act when our security is at stake.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Just recently, Germany adopted its first Space Safety and Security Strategy.
We are now putting this strategy into practice to harden our military space architecture.
We want our efforts to benefit Europe as a whole. Wherever possible, we want and we need to develop our capabilities together with our European and international partners.

Naturally, we are thinking of France, a strong space nation. 
Together, we have already built a strong launchpad for future projects. 
Ariane 6 is perhaps the most visible example of what European cooperation – especially Franco-German cooperation – can achieve.
But our collaboration does not end here. France and Germany are working towards achieving interoperability between “IRIS Square” and future satellite constellations. 
Similarly, we aim to intensify our cooperation on next-generation space-based reconnaissance.

Germany can contribute to these common efforts in several areas: 
We aim to establish a European Space Component Command. The German Space Command stands ready to host such a command.
We plan to establish a Space Safety and Security Academy in Germany.
The Academy will also be open to partners from the EU and beyond. 
We also want to establish standards and interfaces to ensure interoperability between different national systems. 
And lastly, wherever possible, we want to open our procurement for government-to-government partnerships.
These initiatives have the potential to strengthen Europe. 
That is the very definition of European cooperation: pooling and sharing capabilities, setting common standards, and ensuring that smaller partners can participate as well.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Europe is home to an outstanding space industry, innovative start-ups, research institutions and engineers with world-class expertise.
Just a few days ago, we saw what they can achieve.
Last Saturday, the Spectrum rocket – developed by the German company Isar Aerospace – launched from Andøya in Norway and reached orbit. It was the first successful launch to orbit from continental Europe.
What a milestone, ladies and gentlemen! 
We need more projects like these, especially when it comes to obtaining our own super heavy-lift launch capacities to ensure European independence. 
And we need genuine competition, shorter innovation cycles, and open architectures that allow us to integrate new technology quickly.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Our activities in space focus on more than just protecting satellites. We want to protect our societies, our security, and we want to protect our ability to act.
Thanks to my dear French colleague Catherine for bringing us together today.
Germany is ready to do its part.
Thank you very much.