April 21, 2026 / 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. / Lecture Hall I, Poppelsdorf Campus (Friedrich-Hirzebruch-Allee 5, 53115 Bonn)

Satellites form the backbone of modern societies – whether for communication, navigation, financial transactions, weather observation, or military situational awareness. However, Europe's dependence on a few key technologies – such as launch vehicles or components and parts from third countries – makes the European space infrastructure vulnerable. This session highlights Europe's technological, economic, and geopolitical dependencies in space.

The focus is on issues of security of supply, strategic autonomy, and systemic resilience. How can Europe secure its ability to conduct independent space activities, for example through its own launch systems, alternative GNSS sources, or redundant Earth observation infrastructure? What role do supply chains, standards, and international cooperation play in this context?

The event will also discuss specific threat scenarios – from targeted jamming, spoofing, and cyberattacks to space debris, solar storms, and unreliable partners. Strategic resilience in space is no longer just a technical issue, but a key question for Europe's future ability to act on Earth.

The event is being held in cooperation with the German Space Agency, the Federation of German Industries (BDI), the German Armed Forces Space Command, the Society for Security Policy (GSP), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), the Research Network for Security and Technology in Space (SichTRaum), the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Bonn-Rhein-Sieg), the Bonn Adult Education Center, and the ASTRA student association.

Welcome:

Dr. Enrico Fels

Managing Director of the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS)

Lecture followed by discussion:

Dr. Regina Peldszus

Specialist for Space Security at the European External Action Service (EEAS)