Space Threat Assessments

Learn how foreign powers are advancing counterspace weapons—and what it means for U.S. and allied security.

The Space Threat Assessment is an annual report by the Aerospace Security Project that provides policymakers and the public with a clear, data-driven overview of foreign counterspace developments. Drawing on years of open-source research, the series tracks global trends in the testing, deployment, and use of counterspace weapons, highlighting the evolving threats to U.S. and allied security interests in space. Each edition builds on previous assessments to capture both headline developments and subtler shifts that shape the future of space security.

The reports are made possible by general support to CSIS.

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Photo: iLab/CSIS

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Space Threat Assessment 2025

The 2025 Space Threat Assessment covers the growing counterspace capabilities of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and others. It also features analysis on GPS jamming and spoofing, satellite rendezvous and proximity operations, unintentional debris creation, and other counterspace topics.

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Report by Clayton Swope, Kari A. Bingen, Makena Young, and Kendra LaFave — April 25, 2025

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Space Threat Assessment 2025

The 2025 Space Threat Assessment covers the growing counterspace capabilities of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and others. It also features analysis on GPS jamming and spoofing, satellite rendezvous and proximity operations, unintentional debris creation, and other counterspace topics.

Report by Clayton Swope, Kari A. Bingen, Makena Young, and Kendra LaFave — April 25, 2025

Space Threat Assessment 2024

The 2024 Space Threat Assessment covers the growing counterspace capabilities of China, Russia, India, Iran, North Korea, and others. It also features analysis on the normalization of deviance on orbit and a look into coalitions of convenience that are being formed. 

Report by Clayton Swope, Kari A. Bingen, Makena Young, Madeleine Chang, Stephanie Songer, and Jeremy Tammelleo — April 17, 2024

Space Threat Assessment 2023

The 2023 Space Threat Assessment covers the growing counterspace capabilities of China, Russia, India, Iran, North Korea, and others. It also features an in-depth analysis of Russia's battlefield employment of counterspace weapons in Ukraine.

Report by Kari A. Bingen, Kaitlyn Johnson, Makena Young, and John Raymond — April 14, 2023

Space Threat Assessment 2022

The 2022 Space Threat Assessment covers the growing counterspace capabilities of China, Russia, India, Iran, North Korea, and others. It also analyzes several key events, including the 2021 Russian ASAT test, the supposed Chinese FOBS test, and Russian jamming in Ukraine.

Report by Todd Harrison, Kaitlyn Johnson, Makena Young, Nicholas Wood, and Alyssa Goessler — April 4, 2022

Space Threat Assessment 2021

Space Threat Assessment 2021 is an unclassified assessment that aggregates and highlights recent open-source information on counterspace capabilities for policymakers and the general public.

Report by Todd Harrison, Kaitlyn Johnson, Makena Young, and Joe Moye — March 31, 2021

Space Threat Assessment 2020

The Space Threat Assessment 2020 is an unclassified assessment that aggregates and highlights open-source information on counterspace capabilities for policymakers and the general public.

Report by Todd Harrison, Kaitlyn Johnson, Thomas G. Roberts, and Makena Young — March 30, 2020

Space Threat Assessment 2019

In Space Threat Assessment 2019 the CSIS Aerospace Security Project reviews the open-source information available on the counterspace capabilities that can threaten U.S. space systems.

Report by Todd Harrison, Kaitlyn Johnson, and Thomas G. Roberts — April 4, 2019

Space Threat Assessment 2018

Space Threat Assessment 2018 reviews and aggregates open-source information on the counterspace capabilities and activities of other nations, focusing in particular on China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Report by Todd Harrison, Kaitlyn Johnson, and Thomas G. Roberts — April 12, 2018