Switzerland considers its space policy on the one hand to be part of its science and technology research, and on the other to be part of its foreign policy towards Europe and beyond. As Switzerland does not have its own national space programme, its involvement in space affairs is channelled almost entirely through the European Space Agency (ESA).

One of Switzerland's main objectives is to help secure a leading role for Europe in several areas of space science through its involvement in ESA. Switzerland contributes around 3% of ESA's total budget.

Switzerland is also one of 10 countries supporting ESO, the European Southern Observatory which operates two major observatories in Chile.

A number of international research bodies are located in Switzerland such as the ESA Integral Science Data Centre near Geneva and the International Space Science Institute in Bern. Space research also takes place at the Universities and the Federal Institutes for Technology, and is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation as well as the cantons and the federal government.