The Italian outer space program consists of civil and military components. The Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), Italy's space agency, was established in 1988. As for military space, Italy's Space Operations Command reports to the Joint Forces Operations Command, which reports to the Ministry of Defence.

Both civil and military components work together as outlined by the Framework agreement between the Joint Forces Operations Command and the Italian Space Agency.

Contemporary Italian positions on space security include its National Security Strategy for Space, its Strategic Vision Document for Space 2020-2029, and its political commitment not to conduct destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing.