Global Space Trends 2020 for Defence and Security

This report provides an overview of the ongoing development within the space domain and covers global trends, technology, and policy developments. Placing this in a Swedish context allows us to highlight the challenges and opportunities from a national defence and security perspective. The global interest in the space domain is growing every year. Governmental and private investments are increasing, the downstream sector is growing, the number of start-ups within the space domain increases, and there are more nations involved in the developments of space. The boundaries of what is technically possible are continuously pushed further out into space. Space technology contributes to economic, social, and cultural development. More countries are becoming dependent on space, both for societal development, for modern defence capability, and for the sake of national security. The space domain development has broad impacts, on the economy as well as on security and defence policy. An increasing number of countries are planning to establish space commands or space forces within their armed forces. This report highlights the importance of these aspects when developing Swedish space policy. National perspectives and global developments, both civilian and military aspects, are crucial for a successful implementation of the Swedish national space strategy.