Germany pushes for a European space command to curb reliance on US tech

Germany’s defense minister used a four-nation German-speaking defense summit to push a European Space Component Command and a multilateral space training academy, inviting Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg to shape the initiative from the design phase. Austria plans to launch several military satellites next year; Luxembourg and Switzerland highlight their space capabilities as Europe seeks greater autonomy from US tech. While concrete steps remain preliminary and largely conceptual, the gathering signals growing momentum for a European, rather than solely US-led, space defense.