The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has established a directorate for space policy, aimed at organizing cooperation between state and private companies, scientists and the military and facilitating the development of space forces. This was announced by Deputy Defense Minister Katerina Chernenko, responsible for digitalization, who stated that the ministry will be the main consumer of space equipment, products and services in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry aims to develop a military space policy, not only to acquire innovative solutions from engineers, but also to create a community that ensures the best solutions reach Ukraine and to establish space forces.
The directorate is expected to bring together public and private entities and space industry scientists to work with the military. Ukraine plans to have national satellites for defense purposes and a space alarm and control system by 2030.
The development of space forces is also supported by the Ukrainian government’s reputation efforts. In 2021, President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to Sergei Korolev, a Soviet rocket constructor and space pioneer, as a “great Ukrainian scientist” and invited Elon Musk to visit the Cosmonautics Museum in Shitomir.
Ukraine has a history of launching satellites, with the first, Sich-1, in orbit from 1995 to 2001 and subsequent satellites, such as Okean-O and Sich-2, launched in the early 2000s. However, these projects faced technical issues and were eventually decommissioned.
Experts are skeptical about the Ukrainian government’s plans to revive the country’s space program, citing a lack of resources, infrastructure and expertise. The country’s space agency has a history of mismanagement and corruption and the government’s recent initiatives are seen as a way to secure funding and reputation rather than a genuine effort to develop the country’s space capabilities.
Some experts warn that the development of space forces could pose a threat to neighboring countries, as Ukraine would be able to launch satellites with unknown purposes and potentially use them for military or surveillance purposes.