Keynote Speech by Commissioner Kubilius at the Danish National Space Conference

Dear Rector, thank you for your welcome.

Dear Minister,

Everyone here today.

I am very happy to be here in Aalborg, in the House of Music. Music is very important to me. But when I go to a concert hall, I am normally not on the stage. My wife is a violinist.

I have other talents; I am a physicist by training. So I know, in space: no air, no sounds.

The only opera in Space, is space opera.

In space, no-one can hear you sing.

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And for some of us, like me, that is for the best.

But seriously, I am very happy to be here in Denmark. A Baltic neighbour and European leader, now has the Presidency of the Council.

Denmark is a European leader when it comes to Defence. Denmarks strong Defence posture is what we need in Europe, in these dangerous times.

And Denmark is also a proud spacefaring nation. With a space programme going back to the 1960s. As old as the space age itself. 

I was very impressed by the launch of the Bifrost satellite in June this year, the first ever surveillance satellite to monitor Greenland and the Arctic.

And its exactly the kind of thing we need in Europe right now - protecting Arctic waters protects not only Denmark, but protects the whole of Europe.

Space is now on top of the European agenda.

Earlier this year, the Commission made ambitious proposals.

A vision for the European Space Economy with 40 actions to capture global growth. 

An EU Space Act to ensure a single market for space services. A true paradigm shift.

And Big Money for space: A five times increase in our budget for defence and space, for the next EU multiannual budget - to 131 billion euros.

And most importantly, space is central to the Roadmap on defence readiness we presented in Brussels last Thursday.

The Roadmap is a Mega plan for delivery on defence with clear timetables, goals and reporting obligations. A revolutionary strategy to achieve defence readiness by 2030.

We need to be ready before 2030. Because Putin will be ready to test NATO article 5.

And without space, there will be no defence readiness.

Russia uses space to invade, terrorise and kill.

We must use space to defend ourselves and deter aggression.

In the Roadmap we propose to build the European Space Shield - one of four pan-European flagship projects. Projects that no Member State alone can build, and that will protect all of Europe.

Built with Member States, supported by the European Union, the European Space shield will build on national capacities and on our European flagships: Galileo, Copernicus, Iris2. We will launch it in the summer of next year

Also we are planning to launch new systems, which we urgently need  - like the Earth Observation Governmental Service for geo-intelligence.

Goal of the Space shield is: Defence of Space and Space for Defence. Protect our space assets and use space assets for defence.

In Ukraine, satellites guide Russian bombs and rockets to cause destruction.

Satellites help Ukraine to communicate, to operate drones. To defend their freedom.

Space is not only decisive on the battlefield. Space is becoming the next battlefield.

Russia is developing powerful laser weapons that can permanently blind satellites.

German satellites are being shadowed by Russian spy satellites, that could damage or destroy them.

We are already under attack. Jamming and spoofing of global satellite navigation systems. 50,000 flights affected in one year! And in the Baltic: a five times increase compared to last year of radio frequency interference.

In our defence readiness roadmap we deal with threats to our satellites with stronger space situational awareness, and space domain awareness to monitor threats. And by developing in-space operations and services to repair, refuel, restore damaged satellites.

Our soldiers need three things: secure observation, secure navigation and secure communication.

And were making sure they get it through space.

Before the end of this year, our secure EU satellite communication programme GOVSATCOM will start services.

And that means that all Member States will share the benefits of secure, military grade communication.

In the long run IRIS2 will bring secure satellite communications to all corners of Europe. And the world.

I remain fully committed to accelerating the deployment of IRIS². We are currently working intensively with all partners to make this a reality.

And for positioning, navigation and timing:

We are working on a new Low Earth orbit positioning navigation and timing component of Galileo: the LEO PNT.

And later this year well fire up Galileos public regulated service. An encrypted and secure service, to protect against spoofing and jamming. And giving our soldiers a system they can rely on thats robust, autonomous and European system.

As our defence readiness roadmap makes clear: Sending an encrypted signal is not enough. New receivers in our military planes, ships, vehicles will be essential.

For observation we intend to set up an Earth observation governmental service. Space based geo-intelligence adapted for the military and for civil security use, allowing surveillance in rain or shine, night and day. It will be an absolute game changer for our soldiers in the field, with secure and fast access to data, essential in times of crisis and war, with higher resolution: capable of identifying the exact model of the tank on the ground. Or even the specific person. With higher satellite revisit times: Essential to monitor military activity and to support military action and exercises.

The Commission has been working intensively to define the scope of such a new capacity. The two feasibility studies we commissioned have been completed. Pilot studies are being carried out by the EU satellite centre. We are discussing the exact parameters with Member States.

As I announced already before the summer break, we aim at consolidating the user requirements by November this year. We are also working on security requirements which we aim at consolidating early next year. We are working on a clear political mandate agreed with member states.

And building on this work and more, we will make the Earth observation governmental service a reality from 2028 onward – so in the next European budgetary period.

But this is not all we need to do.

We must ramp up our access to space. 

Access to space is mission critical for our future in space. 

Europe has regained strategic capabilities with the two European launchers, Ariane 6 and Vega C. 

Just this summer, we could celebrate two successful launches. But we need to do more. 

The 21st century is the century of space. 

Were at the start of a space revolution. I want us to benefit in full from that space revolution.

We cannot afford to leave space to Europes enemies. And we cannot afford to fall behind our friends. 

But then we need to launch many more satellites. Many more rockets and better rockets. Returning rockets, that we can use again, and again and again. 

In this house of music, I will end on just one final note:

Your work on space, and in space, is very inspiring. It is what children dream of: what they want to do when they grow up.

And Space can also inspire our work on defence. In Defence there are very few successful projects involving several Member States.

But for space weve worked with Commission, Member States, European Space Agency and EUSPA. And weve built our space flagships. Colossal projects benefiting an entire continent. And that no single Member State could have ever achieved on their own.

Thats how we move forward in Europe: together, united.

I want you to know: You do a very important job.

And I wish you a lot of success.

The future belongs to space. Who controls space, controls the future.

So our future, and our security is in your hands.

Europe needs you - Danish engineers, students, academics, companies - to be ambitious.

Remember that in Space, the sky is never the limit.