Macron announced France's new space strategy: "Space has become a new battlefield for global competition."

On November 12, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech in Toulouse, the southern city known as the aerospace capital of Europe, stating: "Space has become a new battlefield for global competition." This assertion is not only a precise judgment on the current international landscape but also a declaration of France's proactive stance in the space race. From the establishment of the Space Command in 2019 to the release of the "2035 Space Strategy" in 2025, France is systematically reshaping its role in the space domain.

Technical Competition: From "Satellite Dependency" to "Systemic Autonomy"

The core of France's space strategy is to break free from reliance on external technologies and build a fully autonomous capability. Currently, France's satellite navigation relies on the US GPS and the European Galileo system, and its rocket launches depend on the Russian Soyuz. Macron views this situation of technological dependence as a "strategic vulnerability."

To address this, France has initiated the "VORTEX" spaceplane project, planning to invest 30 million euros in developing a reusable orbital transport vehicle with a low-orbit carrying capacity of 4 to 6 tons. The project aims to complete the development of suborbital and free-flying verification aircraft, as well as full-scale cargo and manned spaceplanes in phases. In June 2025, the French Ministry of Defense signed an agreement with Dassault Aviation, announcing that the first verification aircraft will conduct its test flight in 2028 and be put into use in 2031. This project is seen as an "important tool for achieving space power and strategic autonomy" for France.

At the same time, France is accelerating the renewal of its observation and communication satellite systems. In March 2025, the Ariane 6 rocket successfully launched the CSO-3 military observation satellite, marking the full deployment of the MUSIS defense Earth observation constellation. This constellation can achieve high-resolution reconnaissance at an altitude of 800 kilometers in a sun-synchronous orbit, supporting the military operations of the French army and its allies. Additionally, France plans to equip its military satellites with laser weapons and surveillance cameras to build "active defense" capabilities. It is expected to deploy nano-patrol satellites starting in 2023, using strong light beams to counter threatening satellites.

Geopolitical Chessboard: From "European Leadership" to "Global Alliances"

The deeper goal of France's space strategy is to reshape the European defense landscape and build technological alliances globally. Macron has repeatedly emphasized that Europe needs to break away from its reliance on US space services, especially in the field of low-orbit satellite communication networks. In June 2025, the French government increased its investment in Eutelsat, the European communications satellite group, by 717 million euros, becoming its largest shareholder. This move is regarded as "a key step towards European autonomous satellite communication capabilities."

In the military domain, France is attempting to use the "Space Force" as a fulcrum to push for the establishment of a European Space Force within the EU. Military observer Li Li points out that France, by building up its advantages in advance, aims to take the lead in the future EU space defense system. At the same time, France is actively courting non-EU countries to participate in cooperation. Macron called on Gulf countries, India, Canada, Brazil, and others at the Paris Air Show to jointly build a global cooperation network, attempting to convert its technological advantages into geopolitical influence.

Risks and Challenges: The "Double-Edged Sword" of the Arms Race

France's space strategy is not without flaws. On the one hand, the 10 billion euro special budget needs to be balanced against the demands of upgrading the navy's nuclear deterrence and digitizing the army, creating significant pressure on fund allocation. On the other hand, the US's vigilance against European space autonomy and the complexity of coordination within NATO may constrain France's strategic space. Moreover, breakthroughs by Russia, China, and others in anti-satellite technology and hypersonic weapons are altering the balance of power in space military forces.

The more profound risk lies in the fact that France's actions may intensify the global space arms race. In 2019, NATO designated space as a "war domain," and the US Space Force has conducted multiple simulated space warfare exercises since its establishment. Russia has also been continuously upgrading its "Space Forces" system. France's entry into the fray will undoubtedly turn space, this "high frontier," into a new powder keg for major power rivalry.

Macron's new space strategy is essentially a geopolitical game played with technological sovereignty as the stake. France aims to achieve a modern transformation of "Gaullism" in the space domain through systematic planning - maintaining its status as an independent and autonomous major power while leading European defense cooperation. However, the outcome of this "space gamble" depends not only on France's technological breakthroughs and financial investment but also on its ability to strike a balance between the arms race and strategic stability.

As countries turn their eyes to the stars and the vast ocean, a key question urgently needs answering: Should space become a "new frontier" for human cooperation or a "new battlefield" for major power confrontation? France's choice may provide an important mirror for global space governance.