NATO
Allied Command Transformation
January 20, 2023

One More Step for NATO’s Space Centre of Excellence

The signing ceremony for Operational Memorandum of Understanding of the NATO-accredited Space Centre of Excellence recently took place at the French Ministry of Defence in Paris, France. This event is both the commencement of the NATO Space Centre of Excellence’s journey and the culmination of a joint effort led by 15 sponsoring nations, NATO representatives, and the French Establishment Team. The birth of this new actor in NATO’s wider framework is an essential milestone in the approach of NATO and the sponsoring nations to Space.

The Operational Memorandum of Understanding…will precede the signing of the Functional Memorandum of Understanding between the nations and NATO’s Allied Command Transformation, officially setting the Centre of Excellence as a NATO-accredited centre and full member of the NATO Centres of Excellence community.

The NATO Space Centre of Excellence will be the catalyst for the comprehension, improvement, and transformation of Space Power…stimulating Space expertise sharing and interoperability, and will constitute a bridge between NATO and all relevant national and international Space organizations from Defence, Civil, Industry, Academia, and Research sectors.

…Acting in consultation with NATO as an autonomous incubator for the Space Domain, the Centre will provide a unique expertise on combined joint activities in Space and be an open venue to collaborate for NATO Allies and Partners….

Consistent with the Overarching Space Policy, the Centre will support NATO’s deepening and expanding use of the space domain, securing access to space services…essential for the conduct of the Alliance’s operations, missions, and activities.

The Centre will be located in Toulouse, France….