Method for assessing space actors

The space domain is currently undergoing rapid change. One important factor in this development is an increasing number of actors with space capabilities. Space is no longer a domain only for the superpowers, it now gathers a multitude of actors with different aims and ambitions. To better understand the implications for the space domain a need to develop a structured method of analysing and comparing different space actors was identified. In the report, a method for describing national actors in the form of "actor descriptions" is proposed, which enables a structured and systematic approach for analysis. The method will both help increase the quality of assessments and enable comparisons of different actors and their evolution over time. The actor descriptions provides a quick and easy framework for describing an actor from a qualitative and quantitative perspective. By also including military facets, the method can provide an understanding of the actor's approach to space as an operational domain. The method can provide assessments of an actor's preconditions for military space utilisation, but it is not aimed at assessing actual warfighting capabilities.