system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Aerospace has never been this big since Apollo, and rocket launches have never been this frequent,, How do nations not mistake another nation's rocket launches for a hostile action? And also, do nations conceal their "true intent" behind commercial launches?

Question in full in title. This has had me wondering for a while.

Thanks everyone in advance for checking in!
gpt
To answer your last question first, yes, sort of.  Governement space launches often have classified payloads.  It may be a satellite with an unknown or classified mission, or even a classified payload or system on board an otherwise known about satellite.  Your open source example here is GPS, which is owned an operated buy the government but it is well known that there are at least two different location resolutions and many different sensors on board the crafts. 

As to your first question, they have to tell someone, so everyone knows.  When a scheduled launch is planned, flight paths have to be closes and the FAA notified.  Other countries must do the same.  So when a civilian or government launch is planned, pretty much everyone knows.  So when a launch outside that area or window occurs, it gets some special attention.  This is not addressing rouge states such as North Korea and the like, who don't typically make pre-launch press releases unless it is to be used for propaganda.  Often times, satellite imagery can simply confirm build up of machinery and launch equipment at known launch sites however, so even without warning, they pretty much know what's going to happen.