Germany beefs up defence in outer space as Russia threat looms

Germany beefs up defence in outer space as Russia threat looms

Germany unveiled the country's first national space security strategy on Wednesday, with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius vowing to expand military and civilian capabilities in orbit.

The strategy comes weeks after Pistorius announced plans for the Armed Forces to spend 35 billion euros ($41 billion) by 2030 on space defences, citing growing threats posed by Russia and potentially China.

"We must develop and possess the capacity for deterrence and defence," Pistorius told a press conference in Berlin.

Both Russia and China are "heavily involved" in space and "positioning themselves to influence other satellites" from Europe and the United States, Pistorius said.

The minister acknowledged that "Germany alone will not keep p