As perceived security threats mount in Earth’s orbit, countries around the world are following the example of the United States and creating their own “space forces.”
Nine months ago, in December 2019, the U.S. Space Force was born. The new military branch was created with a focus to protect the nation’s satellites and other space assets, which are vital to everything from national security to day-to-day communications.
Now, countries including France, Canada and Japan are following suit, as leaders from those countries’ “space force” analogs said Thursday (Sept. 10) during the 2nd Summit for Space Sustainability, an online event hosted by the nonprofit Secure World Foundation.
So, why do these countries, as well as nations like Russia and China, want a military presence in space?