Macron: Europe needs to defend its sovereignty in space

By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a bolder European space policy, warning that Europe’s sovereignty is at stake if it falls behind rival powers in a key field for technology, science and military competitiveness. He said recent events had shown how crucial it is to be able to monitor troop movements from orbit. Macron’s comments Wednesday were a reference to satellite images showing Russia’s mass military deployment near Ukraine that raise fears of an imminent invasion. Europe has a strong record when it comes to launching satellites for telecommunications, global positioning services and scientific research. But it has lagged behind rivals such as the United States, Russia and China on human spaceflight.