The first U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue took place in Berlin on 3 and 4 June 2024. Among the participants were Federal Minister Robert Habeck and the Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy Anna Christmann. In the run-up to the ILA, representatives from Germany and the U.S. met for a two-day expert dialogue at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action to deepen their partnership in the space sector.

Federal Minister Robert Habeck said: “As we seek to tackle global challenges such as the climate crisis, increasing space debris and the growing relevance of space security, it is absolutely essential to strengthen international co-operation in the space sector. This is also a key objective of our national space strategy. Today, satellite data is important for our daily lives and coexistence and, in these times, increasingly also for our security. This is why it is all the more important to strengthen the co- operation between our countries in the space sector by launching the U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue. This exchange will allow us to benefit from each other’s expertise and to soar higher together.”

Germany and the U.S. can look back on a long and successful history of co-operation in the space sector. As part of the first U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue, the German-American satellite mission Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-Continuity (GRACE-C), which is a joint flagship project managed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, was presented in a separate panel. The mission consists of two identical satellites that fly at a distance of approx. 200 km from each other in the same polar orbit and carry out measurements to record global changes in the Earth’s gravitational field. The first GRACE mission was launched back in 2002. Since then, these missions have been providing important research data to support the fight against climate change and help to better understand its consequences for the Earth. This data is also incorporated into the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

In addition, the inaugural U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue focussed on civil and, increasingly, commercial space travel. The dialogue addressed a range of space-related issues, including national strategies and priorities, the importance of Earth observation data and its benefits for public interests, civil and military security challenges and the sustainable and safe use of space. On the second day, there was also an exchange between government and industry representatives from both countries.

At the end of the two-day meeting, a Joint Statement summarising the joint intentions of the U.S. and Germany in the field of space travel was signed.