Across the European Union, satellite navigations alone is thought to underpin more than 10% of GDP. Satellite-dependent activity on the whole is responsible for much more. According to INSEE and CNES, France’s space sector generated 10.8 billions euros ($12.3 billion) bn in space-related turnover and supported 33,200 dedicated space jobs in 2020. As of 2025 in the United Kingdom, space-based activity is behind about 18% of GDP. It doesn’t take too much imagination, therefore, to picture the chaos that might ensue should a strategically crucial European satellite or group of satellites be harmed. Space systems form the enabling network of much of modern life.
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