EU militarisation accelerates: France-Poland satellite pact deepens NATO-aligned surveillance infrastructure amid rising geopolitical tensions

Indigenous critiques of satellite militarisation highlight how space-based surveillance replicates colonial patterns of land and resource control, particularly in Arctic and Pacific regions where indigenous peoples face displacement from 'security' projects. Traditional knowledge systems often prioritise collective stewardship over technological dominance, offering alternatives to the securitisation of space. The lack of indigenous consultation in such projects reflects broader patterns of epistemic violence in global governance.

The France-Poland satellite pact echoes Cold War-era space militarisation, such as the US Strategic Defense Initiative (1983) and Soviet ASAT programmes, which normalised the weaponisation of space. NATO’s post-2014 pivot to space as a 'warfighting domain' (2019) institutionalised this trend, with Europe now playing catch-up. Historical precedents show that such alliances often escalate into arms races, as seen in the 1960s US-USSR satellite programmes that nearly triggered conflict.

Non-Western perspectives often frame space as a commons rather than a battleground, with the 1976 Bogotá Declaration asserting equatorial nations' sovereignty over geostationary orbits. African Union’s 2016 Space Policy prioritises socio-economic development over military use, contrasting with NATO’s securitisation approach. In Latin America, the 2008 UNASUR Space Agency explicitly rejects militarisation, advocating for peaceful applications.

Scientific consensus warns that satellite-based military infrastructure contributes to orbital debris, increasing collision risks for civilian satellites and threatening global communications. Studies show that space debris from military tests (e.g., China’s 2007 ASAT test) has long-term environmental impacts, with debris persisting for decades. Meanwhile, civilian space science—such as climate monitoring via ESA’s Copernicus programme—faces underfunding due to military diversion of resources.

Artistic and spiritual traditions often depict the cosmos as a sacred, interconnected web, challenging the militaristic framing of space as a domain of control. Indigenous cosmologies, such as those of the Māori or Navajo, view celestial bodies as ancestors or living entities deserving of reverence, not surveillance. Contemporary artists like Trevor Paglen critique the 'invisible constellations' of military satellites, exposing their role in global surveillance networks.

Scenario modelling suggests that unchecked militarisation of space could lead to a 'Kessler Syndrome' cascade, rendering low Earth orbit unusable for decades. Alternative futures include a 'Space NATO' dominated by US-EU alliances, or a multipolar governance model incorporating Global Majority voices. The project risks accelerating an arms race with China and Russia, which have already demonstrated anti-satellite capabilities, potentially triggering a new Cold War in space.

Marginalised communities, particularly in conflict zones like Ukraine or Gaza, bear the brunt of satellite-enabled militarisation, with civilian infrastructure often targeted based on surveillance data. Women and girls in Global South nations face heightened risks of gender-based violence when militarised surveillance disrupts local governance structures. Grassroots movements, such as the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, advocate for demilitarised space governance but are sidelined in mainstream discourse.