Vatican diplomat warns of space militarization; US, Russia, China, India tested ASAT weapons. Urges UN action to preserve outer space for peace.
Newsroom (05/11/2025, Gaudium Press )The Vatican top diplomat at the United Nations warned this week that outer space risks becoming a contested battlefield, calling for renewed multilateral cooperation to preserve it as a domain for peaceful exploration and the common good of humanity.
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See’s apostolic nuncio and permanent observer to the U.N., delivered the stark assessment in two statements to the General Assembly on Oct. 27 and Oct. 30. He highlighted “disturbing trends” including space-based weaponry, anti-satellite (ASAT) systems, and proliferating orbital debris that threaten international security and the long-term sustainability of space activities.
“The vastness of outer space is a realm of immense opportunity for cooperation and scientific discovery,” Archbishop Caccia said Oct. 27. “Yet this potential also brings with it great responsibility.”
His remarks come against a backdrop of escalating military capabilities in orbit. The United States, Russia, China, and India have all successfully tested direct-ascent ASAT weapons, demonstrating the ability to destroy satellites in low Earth orbit. Such tests generate thousands of pieces of debris that can endanger spacecraft and the International Space Station for decades.
A April 2025 report by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) described space as “likely becoming a more dangerous place.” The bipartisan think tank cited widespread GPS jamming and spoofing in conflict zones near Russia and across the Middle East, increasingly agile Chinese and Russian satellites capable of maneuvers applicable to “space warfighting,” and a blurring of military and commercial space technologies.
CSIS also noted China’s rapid expansion of military space assets across all orbital regimes and growing U.S. statements signaling readiness for offensive and defensive space operations.
Archbishop Caccia lamented the absence of a comprehensive international agreement to ban weapons in space, despite the issue being on the agenda of the U.N.’s Conference on Disarmament since 1985. He invoked the 1967 Outer Space Treaty — ratified by more than 110 nations — which declares space a common heritage to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and protected for future generations.
“States have a shared responsibility to cooperate, embrace multilateralism, and advance the common good in their activities in space,” he said.
In his Oct. 30 address, the archbishop reiterated the urgency, warning that “mounting military competition” and extending geopolitical rivalries risk fragmenting the cooperative framework envisioned in the 1967 treaty.
“The rapid pace of technological progress underscores the urgent need for renewed dialogue and cooperation to ensure that outer space remains a realm of peace and shared responsibility,” he said.
Archbishop Caccia urged nations to establish “responsible guidelines” for space activities and strengthen mutual trust through multilateral forums. “This new frontier must remain a realm of peace, stability, and shared progress for generations to come,” he concluded.
The Vatican’s intervention adds a moral voice to ongoing U.N. debates on preventing an arms race in outer space, where commercial satellites now underpin global communications, navigation, and earth observation — services worth hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
As private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin launch thousands of new satellites, and major powers invest billions in space forces, diplomats face mounting pressure to update Cold War-era treaties for a multipolar, commercialized orbital environment.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV news
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