Operational Dimension And Multidomain Architecture

The strategic environment of the twenty-first century has decisively transformed space from a passive enabler of terrestrial activities into an active and contested domain of geopolitical significance. As NATO, the European Union, and their respective member states expand their reliance on space-based capabilities for secure communications, intelligence gathering, navigation, missile warning, and situational awareness, the vulnerability of these systems to deliberate disruption has become a central concern. Technological advances have enabled both state and non-state actors to develop and deploy counter-space capabilities, including anti-satellite missiles, electronic warfare tools, cyber intrusion methods, and kinetic or co-orbital systems that threaten the integrity, availability, and continuity of space services.

Recent conflicts have underscored the operational relevance of these threats: in theatres such as Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific, space-based infrastructure has proven not only a force multiplier but also a target. Within the Euro-Atlantic area, the resilience of space systems is no longer viewed merely as a technical issue but rather as a precondition for political decision-making autonomy, strategic deterrence, and continuity of operations across all military domains. Consequently, allied institutions have adopted new doctrines, designated space as an operational domain, and initiated collaborative investment in situational awareness, satellite communications, secure launch capabilities, and rapid reconstitution mechanisms.

The emerging consensus holds that space security must be achieved through a combination of sovereign capability development, coordinated regulatory frameworks, industrial consolidation, and robust engagement with commercial providers. In this context, protecting access to and use of space has become both a matter of national sovereignty and a shared imperative for collective defence and resilience. This report offers a structured and in-depth analysis of the strategic priority of Space Security and Resilience as defined by NATO, the European Union, and aligned national authorities.