The current Space and Military Intelligence landscape is a dynamic and contested space where technological acceleration is outpacing ethical and strategic consensus. The power to launch, to see, and to analyze is becoming more accessible and more potent than ever before. However, the true challenge lies not in the technology itself, but in the human intent behind it.

Key findings indicate that while nation-states and their primary contractors continue to invest heavily in advanced hardware and launch capabilities, the critical fronts are increasingly in the digital and cognitive realms. The methods used by domestic agencies to leverage information for surveillance underscore the urgent need for the ethical framework central to the S/MILE program.