Evaluated screen

Military Space Systems

Identifies companies and other entities that design, develop, manufacture, integrate, operate, or sell complete spacecraft, satellites, hosted payloads, sub-orbital systems, or dedicated ground, command, control, mission, space-domain-awareness, protection, or counterspace systems specifically designed or materially modified for military use. Generic civil or commercial satellites and services, ordinary launch services, shared ground-station or cloud capacity, generic components, academic research, and missiles or terrestrial weapons without a distinct military-space role are excluded.

Type
Evaluated
Version
2026.08.21.2
Published
Aug 21, 2026
Inclusions
4
Exclusions
7
How to read this definition

Inclusion criteria describe evidence that can establish this activity. Exclusion criteria identify circumstances that do not establish it on that basis alone. The evaluation remains connected to its taxonomy version and supporting evidence.

Can establish this activity

Included when supported

Evidence may support involvement when it matches one or more of these inclusion criteria.

4 criteria
  1. 01Criterion

    Include complete satellites, spacecraft, space vehicles, and sub-orbital systems specifically designed or materially modified for military communications, navigation, warning, intelligence, surveillance, tracking, or other defence missions.

  2. 02Criterion

    Include hosted or standalone space payloads specifically designed or materially modified for military communications, sensing, missile warning, navigation, electronic warfare, space-domain awareness, or targeting.

  3. 03Criterion

    Include dedicated military satellite-control, mission-control, ground-segment, command, data-processing, and protected communications systems.

  4. 04Criterion

    Include military space-domain-awareness, satellite-protection, inspection, rendezvous, counterspace, and space-control systems where the defence role is documented.

Does not establish this activity on its own

Excluded on this basis alone

These circumstances do not establish this activity unless separate evidence also meets an inclusion criterion.

7 criteria
  1. 01Criterion

    Historical-Only Military Space System Involvement

    Defined as: Entities with verified past development, manufacture, integration, sale, supply, operation, or material modernization of qualifying military space systems, where reliable evidence establishes that the qualifying activity has fully ceased, been divested, transferred, dismantled, terminated, or otherwise ended and no current qualifying involvement remains. Historical-only activity does not qualify as current involvement. Preserve the historical record separately with the activity period, effective cessation or transfer date, relevant entity, product, programme, facility, or contract, and supporting evidence. Absence of recent evidence alone is not sufficient to establish cessation.

  2. 02Criterion

    Exclude civil or commercial satellites, hosted payloads, and services supplied without material military design, configuration, control, or dedicated military deliverables.

  3. 03Criterion

    Exclude ordinary commercial launch services and civil space-launch vehicles unless the entity separately provides a qualifying military spacecraft, payload, or dedicated military launch system.

  4. 04Criterion

    Exclude shared ground stations, cloud, telecommunications, data relay, and network services without a military-specific system or materially configured deliverable.

  5. 05Criterion

    Exclude generic spacecraft components, electronics, materials, and engineering services without dedicated integration into a qualifying military-space system.

  6. 06Criterion

    Exclude academic, scientific, demonstration, and research programmes that do not establish an operational or contracted military-space capability.

  7. 07Criterion

    Exclude terrestrial missiles, missile launchers, munitions, and weapons without a distinct space-system role.

Evidence and evaluation methodology

How sources, entity pathways, decisions, qualifiers, and review history are handled.

Map screens to a client policy

How to choose provider screens, document coverage, and decide what happens after an outcome.

Other screens under Military Operational, Electronic and Space Systems