The UK and its continental allies desperately need to procure intelligence-gathering satellites to avoid “existential risk to Europe’s security” from Russia and China, space industry experts have warned. This comes as Moscow is trying to develop a weapon that uses the force of a “nuclear explosion” to wipe out hundreds of satellites essential to everyday services like online banking and Wi-Fi.

Russia and China may soon also be able to “tamper with UK satellites and European satellites" without us knowing about it, Mark Boggett, CEO of venture capital firm Seraphim Space, told Daily Express.

As it stands, the UK and Europe “very much rely on the US” when it comes to military intelligence satellites and satellites that monitor what enemy states are doing in space, he said.

If the White House stops allowing the UK and its allies to rely on US satellites, then European NATO members will be “taking material steps backwards” and be “exposed” to terrifying security threats, he added.

In a recent whitepaper, Seraphim Space called on European capitals, including London, to dedicate "significant budget allocation” to the “rapid procurement” of intelligence, security, and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites - crucial for missile defence systems - to avert “existential risk to Europe’s security”.

The UK and Europe only have 55 working defence-related satellites between them, compared to the US’ 366, China’s 206, and Russia’s 88. Not only does Europe have a significant deficit when it comes to satellites already in orbit, but it’s lagging woefully behind its rivals in the number of satellites it’s launching.

Last year, Europe only launched one defence satellite, while the US launched 122, China 43, and even Iran managed to launch six.

Mr Boggett blamed Europe’s capitals for buying “big systems” like planes and tanks rather than investing in cutting-edge technology essential for defensive satellites. “The approach to procurement needs to be turned on its head”, he warned.

Predicting a scenario where Britain and Europe did not invest in “situational awareness” satellites that tell governments “what is going on in space”, Mr Boggett said “the Russians [could soon be] using satellites to go and tamper with UK satellites or European satellites.”

“The ability to observe that behaviour and then to be able to respond and react to it is critical, and we lack the capability there.

“Right now we have good visibility of US space situational awareness of what’s going on, and we can monitor where unusual behaviour patterns are underway - but this is an area that we need to backfill”.

Former UK Defence Select Committee chair Tobias Ellwood echoed the sentiment of Mr Boggett: “Space has become the new frontier; satellites themselves are now vulnerable”.

Warning about the prospect of the US retreating from its role underpinning European space security, he added: “For them to dial back in any way would lead to huge vulnerabilities. Every aspect of modern life now involves satellite data.

“With Trump you can’t predict [what the US will do]”.

Alan Thompson, head of government affairs at Scottish rocket company Skyrora, shared Mr Boggett’s grim outlook and said the consequences for everyday life could be catastrophic if western space dominance is lost.

“Currently there is the idea of using electromagnetic force - of the type that might get from a nuclear explosion - to basically render inoperable a number of satellites in orbit. Well what does that mean to a person in the street today? The banking system is gone. You can’t get money out.”

“The dependency we currently have on space is quite remarkable”, he added, estimating that “two-thirds of Wi-Fi comes from space, or has a space-based element to it”.

In February 2024, three US intelligence sources told CNN that Russia was trying to develop a space-based nuclear weapon that could wipe out critical satellite systems, and the then-National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: “Our general knowledge of Russian pursuit of this kind of capability goes back many, many months, if not a few years. But only in recent weeks now has the intelligence community been able to assess with a higher sense of confidence exactly how Russia continues to pursue it.”

Daily Express has approached the UK Space Agency for comment.