A group of 17 NATO nations pledged $1 billion for the Alliance for Permanent Space Surveillance (APSS) program.According to the NATO website, it is supposed to improve allies' ability to “monitor activities on land and at sea with unprecedented accuracy and efficiency".
The relevant document was signed at the NATO summit in Washington. As specified, APSS represents the largest "multinational investment in space capabilities" in Alliance history. With the signing of the memorandum, the program entered an implementation phase, during which, over the next 5 years, 17 NATO countries will allocate more than 1 billion USD for the use of commercial and national space assets and the expansion of advanced capabilities for their work.
The next NATO summit was held in Washington from July 9 to 11 to mark the 75th anniversary of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949.