Paris — France should invest more in surveillance of outer space to ensure it never becomes an arena for future wars, the country’s defence minister said on Thursday. Days after US President Donald Trump said he was ordering the creation of a sixth branch of the US military to focus on space, Florence Parly said France, a nuclear power, believed space could become the site of future conflicts. "We must be able to invest more in space than we do today so that we can monitor it and prevent it from becoming a theatre for major confrontations," Parly told France 2 television. Trump’s comments have raised concern of an arms race in space, although the US is a member of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. The accord bars stationing weapons of mass destruction in space and restricts the use of the moon and other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes. The idea of a Space Force has been raised before, by Trump and previous administrations, with proponents saying it would make the Pentagon more effi...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.