The following is the text of a statement issued by the governments of the United States and Germany on the occasion of the First U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue.
Introductory text:
Pursuant to their shared goal of advancing bilateral space cooperation as announced by their leaders, the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany held their first bilateral Space Dialogue in Berlin, Germany, on June 3-4, 2024. The objective of the U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue is to strengthen cooperation in space matters and advance bilateral exchanges.
In their welcome and keynote addresses, Federal Ministers Robert Habeck, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action; Chirag Parikh, Executive Secretary of the National Space Council; Anna Christmann, German Federal Aerospace Policy Coordinator for Germany; and Rahima Kandhari, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, emphasized that the inaugural Space Dialogue will deepen space cooperation for the benefit of the people of both countries and the world. Both delegations included representatives from numerous ministries and agencies involved in space activities.
At the meeting, German and U.S. officials exchanged information on their respective national space policies, including Germany’s Space Strategy and upcoming Space Security Strategy, as well as the U.S. Space Priority Framework. The two sides reiterated their determination to expand already strong bilateral cooperation in a variety of areas, including addressing the climate crisis and the sustainable and safe use of outer space; advancing national security space cooperation and information sharing; and strengthening bilateral commercial space cooperation.
The participants had a wide-ranging discussion on challenges to our shared economic and national security interests. The two sides are determined to continue their close coordination in strengthening global governance of space activities by promoting the widest possible accession to and full compliance with the Outer Space Treaty, including the provision not to place any object carrying nuclear weapons or any other type of weapon of mass destruction in orbit around the Earth. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to the development and implementation of voluntary, non-legally binding international best practices and guidelines to promote the sustainable, safe and responsible use of outer space.
The two sides resolved to deepen bilateral coordination on national security space policies, practices, and capabilities; particularly given the growing scope of counter-space and space-enabled and related threats. They also resolved to strengthen coordination of national security space activities with other allies and partners around the world, including by leveraging innovative commercial space capabilities to ensure access to critical space-based services. The two sides also reaffirmed their interest in working together to strengthen the security and resilience of critical space-related infrastructure and services against the full spectrum of threats.
The participants discussed ongoing cooperation in space exploration and science and opportunities to strengthen partnerships in these areas. Both sides are determined to continue collaboration on scientific missions to enhance understanding of our solar system and investigate the origins of our universe, including NASA’s Artemis missions – given Germany’s key role in developing the propulsion module for the Orion crew spacecraft. The participants also expressed their intention to discuss further cooperation in exploration, particularly in cislunar and lunar surface activities and in low Earth orbit. The two sides also highlighted NASA and DLR’s agreement to continue gravity field measurements from space with the GRACE-C mission, which provides unique observations of Earth’s changing water cycle. In addition, it contributes to a better understanding of global climate change and helps policymakers make data-informed decisions. The importance of the GRACE-C mission was recognized in a panel discussion prior to the Space Dialogue.
The two countries reviewed joint efforts to promote the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, including work in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) and other UN bodies and strengthening the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). As signatories to the Artemis Accords, which reaffirm the importance of compliance with the Outer Space Treaty and other core treaties, and establish a political understanding to ensure the safety of operations in outer space and its sustainable use during exploration by countries of the Moon and beyond, the two countries expressed the importance of advocating for these principles in UN bodies and other multilateral governmental forums. The two countries decided to remain in close communication on expanding commercial space relations and space situational awareness (SSA), as US responsibilities for civil and commercial SSA shift from the Department of Defense to the Department of Commerce in the coming years. Both sides recognized the importance of addressing space debris.
The two sides recognized that Earth observation is a priority area for bilateral cooperation. They discussed a number of programs that use satellites to better forecast weather patterns; support agricultural and infrastructure planning; help monitor and combat climate change and pollution; prepare for and respond to disasters; improve the use of natural resources; and provide critical telecommunications services. The two sides expressed their intention to partner on the LandSat Next mission to advance scientific knowledge and remote sensing technologies to support socio-economic development, environmental management and climate resilience around the world. In addition, sharing and facilitating access to satellite data, especially in the area of climate protection, research and resilience, is considered fundamental by both sides.
Following government-to-government discussions, the two sides held a commercial roundtable during the talks, bringing together more than two dozen private space companies from both countries and highlighting existing partnerships. The session provided industry representatives with an opportunity to better understand how the United States and Germany promote their respective commercial space sectors and outlined opportunities and challenges for stronger bilateral cooperation. Participants welcomed reciprocal investments in each other’s space sectors. Existing partnerships were examined to help foster ties between the two commercial space sectors and to foster new partnerships.
The two countries are committed to continue working together in the areas mentioned above and to explore other cooperation possibilities, such as the development of the space industry sector, including at the next U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue to be held at a mutually determined future date in the United States.
Lesson finished.
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