Subsequent to the Gulf War, several countries -- including some that had previously defined the ‘peaceful’ use of space as meaning explicitly non-military -- changed their view and began to develop dual-use space technology such as imagery for uses including military. The UK has enjoyed special access to US imagery and has, consequently, been less interested in an autonomous development of capabilities than have other countries. Germany, by contrast, is building a series of radar observation satellites. France launched its third military surveillance satellite into orbit in December 2004. Helios 2A is reportedly able to spot textbook-sized objects anywhere on Earth. It is equipped with infrared sensors, which allow it to gather information both in daylight and at night. French President Jacques Chirac argued that without its own satellite capabilities, Europe would remain little more than a "vassal" of America.

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Johnson-Freese, Joan. "The Emerging China-EU Space Partnership: A Geo-Technological Balancer." Space Policy. Vol. 22, No. 1 (February 2006): 12-22. [ 8 quotes ] [ page 16 ]