Europe’s Space Defenses Fall Just Shy of Weaponization

What happened

Europe’s Space Defenses Fall Just Shy of Weaponization, according to Payload. Europe doesn’t have any weapons in space—but that doesn’t mean the region is comfortable flying around in orbit defenseless. The post Europe’s Space Defenses Fall Just Shy of Weaponization appeared first on Payload .

During the past few weeks, comments from US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink—confirming the presence of US weapons in orbit —have forced European leaders to urge caution. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher told reporters this week at the International Astronautical Congress in Turkey that “Europe does not deploy weapons in space,” warning that the use of weapons to damage adversarial spacecraft would ensure the spread of debris, and potentially make space unusable for all. But while officials decry the militarization of space, they’re also funding their own programs to boost their in-space defense postures—often aiming just shy of destructive force.