Europe’s space sector faces power shift as funding grows

WASHINGTON — A new report highlights a shift in Europe's space sector that could alter who sets priorities for billions of dollars in satellite programs tied to security and defense.

The European Union is increasing funding and reorienting its space program toward military and security uses, a move that could position Brussels as a central driver of European space policy, according to the report, written by analyst Michael Gleason, of The Aerospace Corporation's Center for Space Policy and Strategy.

"With the benefit of the European Space Agency's technical expertise and with the EU's and ESA's combined ability to pool resources from across their member states, the EU could soon position itself as the foremost space actor in Europe and a leading global actor in space security and defense," Gleason wrote.