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Space gains importance in national defence amid growing threats
On Thursday, 12 November, the head of the Mando del Espacio will explain at the Planetario de Madrid how Spain is addressing threats to space systems and the role these capabilities play in national defence.
With over 2,800 flight hours, Major General Isaac Manuel Crespo Zaragoza has developed his career as a fighter pilot and in operational and General Staff positions. On Thursday, 12 November, he will speak about Spain’s role in space from the Madrid Planetarium.
The talk is titled ‘Space as the Fifth Operational Domain for Defence’. Crespo Zaragoza, head of the Mando del Espacio (Mespa), will discuss Spain’s capabilities and the importance of this field for defence operations.
The event will also address the increase in threats against space systems. More and more essential services depend on infrastructures that operate in space, so protecting them has become a strategic issue for national security.
Crespo Zaragoza took over as head of Mespa in February 2024, after being promoted to major general. In the talk, he will explain the organisation’s functions and the capabilities Spain has to operate and protect its interests in space.
The Mando del Espacio is part of the Fuerza Aeroespacial del Ejército del Aire y del Espacio. Its mission includes preparing the necessary structures for military operations in the space domain. It monitors and controls activities in, from, or towards outer space, and also coordinates them. Its objectives include preserving access to space and ensuring the availability of resources provided by space systems of national interest.
Mespa can act as an operational command or as the space component of the Armed Forces. Its work also aims to contribute to the freedom of action of its own forces against potential adversaries.