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Articles 1 - 30 of 275
Full-Text Articles in Aerospace Engineering
Notes For The Contributors, Space & Defense
The Global Chessboard: Strategic Deterrence In A New Era Of Great Power Competition, The 66th Annual Academy Assembly
The Global Chessboard: Strategic Deterrence In A New Era Of Great Power Competition, The 66th Annual Academy Assembly
Space and Defense
The 66th annual Academy Assembly brought together twenty-seven student delegates from civilian institutions and sister military service academies to discuss urgent issues in national affairs. This national student congress was held during March 3-5, 2026 and produced the following committee reports.
Critical Strategic Deterrence Questions For Today, Keith B. Payne
Critical Strategic Deterrence Questions For Today, Keith B. Payne
Space and Defense
r. Payne visited the U.S. Air Force Academy to offer keynote remarks at a national student congress, the 66th Academy Assembly, held during March 3-5,2026 and dedicated to the topic of the Global Chessboard: Strategic Deterrence in a New Era of Great Power Competition. Dr. Payne is co-founder of the National Institute for Public Policy, former Department Head at the Graduate School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, and former Senior Advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He has authored or co-authored over 230 published articles and 50 …
Death Of Battlefield Hide-And-Seek, Lily Cheatham
Death Of Battlefield Hide-And-Seek, Lily Cheatham
Space and Defense
For the past twenty years, the stealth regime defined military thinking, prioritizing technologies and tactics designed to evade enemy defense systems. Ensuring radar invisibility and maintaining information dominance have been the keys to survival and strategic advantage. On June 21-22, 2025, the United States conducted "Operation Midnight Hammer" against Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The principal strike package included seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, whose crews flew approximately 18 hours to reach the target area and roughly 36 hours and 13,000 miles round trip. The B-2s dropped 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators on Fordow and Natanz, marking …
The Baltic Bear Trap Wargame, Connor Crookham
The Baltic Bear Trap Wargame, Connor Crookham
Space and Defense
Modern military education increasingly relies on experiential tools that allow students to explore the complexity of contemporary conflict in ways that lectures and readings alone cannot achieve. Nowhere is this more evident than in the emerging emphasis on multi-domain operations, integrated deterrence, and the blurred boundaries between competition and armed conflict. The Baltic Bear Trap wargame was developed as a student design project to meet this instructional need, offering a structured environment in which players must think, plan, and act as operational-level decision makers confronting a deteriorating security situation in the Nordic–Baltic region. Built for use at the Swedish Defense …
A Cislunar Economic Forecast Under Public-Private Partnership, Naisha Chirag Naik
A Cislunar Economic Forecast Under Public-Private Partnership, Naisha Chirag Naik
Space and Defense
Cislunar space, spanning Earth’s orbit to the Moon, has emerged as a new frontier due to its strategic, scientific, and economic potential, with growing involvement from global powers, governments, and private entities diversifying the market. Unlike the first lunar space race, which saw a spike in activity amongst two countries followed by “silence,” the current cislunar era is hallmarked by a growing mix of public agencies, private companies, and international actors seeking to gain a foothold in what could be the foundation for a long-term space economy. While cislunar space was historically only an interest for superpowers, recent years have …
Autonomous Navigation In Cislunar Satellites, Heith Johnson
Autonomous Navigation In Cislunar Satellites, Heith Johnson
Space and Defense
Cislunar space—the region between Earth’s geosynchronous orbit (about 36,000 kilometers from Earth) and the Moon (roughly 384,000 kilometers away)—is becoming a critical frontier for future space exploration and commercialization.1 This zone includes the Moon’s orbit, transfer orbits, and the Earth-Moon Lagrange points. Additionally, as more nations and corporations launch lunar missions and establish long-term infrastructure, cislunar space is increasingly becoming a strategic focus for exploration, logistics, and transportation.
Planetary Defense As The Ethico-Legal Gateway For International Space Security, Evie Kendal
Planetary Defense As The Ethico-Legal Gateway For International Space Security, Evie Kendal
Space and Defense
Following the news in late 2024 that there was a city-killer asteroid on a possible collision course with Earth, many members of the public were shocked to learn there was no reliable global plan for managing such asteroidal and cometary impact hazards. While calculations of Asteroid 2024 YR4’s trajectory were further refined to exclude the previously reported 2-3% chance of collision in 2032, this event highlighted a major security threat: the lack of a globally coordinated, appropriately resourced, and politically supported planetary defense strategy (Gibney, 2025). In so doing, it also provided an opportunity for security experts to consider the …
Space-Based Missile Defense With Early Interceptor Launch Strategies, William Priedhorsky, James Wells
Space-Based Missile Defense With Early Interceptor Launch Strategies, William Priedhorsky, James Wells
Space and Defense
There is renewed interest in space-based boost-phase intercept (SBPI) for missile defense against ICBMs of near-peer adversaries. We discuss SBPI in the context of other missile defense approaches, and address one of its challenges, which is the expense of fielding a large enough constellation of interceptors in space to counter even a small number of ICBMs. We develop an early-launch approach that could substantively reduce the required density of interceptors. Because every second matters in boost-phase defense, early launch of interceptors can significantly increase the reach of each interceptor. Early launch would require interceptors that have highly throttleable motors. Our …
Golden Dome: Seeking Space Security, Namrata Goswami
Golden Dome: Seeking Space Security, Namrata Goswami
Space and Defense
The “Golden Dome” initiative [formerly Iron Dome] was announced by President Donald Trump on January 27, 2025, signifying a transformative shift in global space security policy. It fundamentally questions long-standing assumptions about deterrence, national vulnerability to missile attacks, and the role of space in strategic defense. More importantly, it emerges at a moment of acute strategic transition: the erosion of Cold War arms control frameworks, the rapid advancement of hypersonic and orbital delivery systems, and the growing integration of space into warfighting doctrines. Launched via a presidential memorandum in January 2025, Golden Dome calls for a layered missile defense system …
Space & Defense Vol. 17 No. 1 Editor's Note, Damon Coletta
Space & Defense Vol. 17 No. 1 Editor's Note, Damon Coletta
Space and Defense
No abstract provided.
Space & Defense Vol. 17 No. 1 Table Of Contents, Space & Defense
Space & Defense Vol. 17 No. 1 Table Of Contents, Space & Defense
Space and Defense
No abstract provided.
Space & Defense Vol. 17 No. 1 Front Matter, Space & Defense
Space & Defense Vol. 17 No. 1 Front Matter, Space & Defense
Space and Defense
No abstract provided.
Space & Defense Volume 17 Issue 1 Summer 2026 (Whole Issue), Space & Defense
Space & Defense Volume 17 Issue 1 Summer 2026 (Whole Issue), Space & Defense
Space and Defense
No abstract provided.
An Alternative To Armageddon: O.P. Weyland And The Development Of Tactical Air Power, Paul Wells
An Alternative To Armageddon: O.P. Weyland And The Development Of Tactical Air Power, Paul Wells
LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
Theorists and advocates of air power argued that aircraft, not ground forces, would become the dominant platform for victory in war. They promoted the concept of strategic bombing, using aircraft to bypass ground forces and directly attack a nation's industrial capacity to wage war, hoping to ensure quick victory and avoid a repeat of the prolonged slaughter in the trenches of WWI. In 1947, led by advocates of strategic bombing, the United States Air Force (USAF) became an independent and equal branch of the U.S. military. The USAF developed the Strategic Air Command (SAC) to meet the requirements of the …
Notes For Contributors, Editors Space And Defense
Notes For Contributors, Editors Space And Defense
Space and Defense
No abstract provided.
Review Article: International Relations: State Of The Field. Paul R. Viotti’S Kenneth Waltz: An Intellectual Biography (Ny: Columbia University Press, 2023)., Damon Coletta
Space and Defense
In this review essay, Damon Coletta examines Paul R. Viotti’s Kenneth Waltz: An Intellectual Biography (Columbia University Press, 2023), positioning it as both a tribute to and a reexamination of one of International Relations’ most influential theorists. Viotti, a former student of Waltz, reconstructs the intellectual development of structural realism—tracing its philosophical and methodological roots from Man, the State, and War (1959) to Theory of International Politics (1979)—while situating Waltz’s scholarship within the geopolitical and academic transformations of the Cold War era. Coletta highlights Viotti’s skillful balance between biography and disciplinary analysis, showing how Waltz’s systemic approach to international politics …
Review Article: Monetary Power And National Security. A 10th Anniversary Review Of Paul R. Viotti’S The Dollar And National Security: The Monetary Component Of Hard Power (Stanford, Ca: Stanford University Press, 2014), Ricardo Crespo
Space and Defense
In this ten-year retrospective, Ricardo A. Crespo reassesses Paul R. Viotti’s The Dollar and National Security (2014) as a foundational text bridging the fields of monetary policy and national security. Viotti’s central thesis—that military power ultimately depends on a stable and privileged monetary foundation—has only grown more relevant amid today’s weaponization of finance and the geopolitics of sanctions. Crespo highlights Viotti’s argument that sustaining the U.S. dollar’s global dominance requires cooperative security and international consensus, noting how historical parallels—from the sterling gold standard to Bretton Woods—illustrate the fragility of monetary hegemony under fiscal mismanagement or political fragmentation. The review situates …
Plan To Fail By Failing To Plan: Deterring Prc Nuclear Force Expansion, Mark Tang, Grace Buettner
Plan To Fail By Failing To Plan: Deterring Prc Nuclear Force Expansion, Mark Tang, Grace Buettner
Space and Defense
This article argues that the United States must adapt its nuclear deterrence strategy to counter the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) accelerating nuclear force expansion. As Beijing seeks to achieve nuclear parity with Washington—projecting up to 1,500 warheads by 2035—the authors contend that U.S. strategy must evolve from Cold War-era models to meet the Indo-Pacific’s unique strategic challenges. They propose the establishment of a Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) A-10 Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Division, modeled after its European counterpart, to enhance regional nuclear planning, integration, and allied assurance. The paper emphasizes the concept of escalation domination, arguing …
Earth’S Orbital Prison: Codifying Customary Law To Prevent Environmental Catastrophe In Space, Jacob Cook
Earth’S Orbital Prison: Codifying Customary Law To Prevent Environmental Catastrophe In Space, Jacob Cook
Space and Defense
This article argues that the accelerating proliferation of space debris in low Earth orbit (LEO) poses an existential threat to the sustainability of the orbital environment—one comparable in strategic gravity to nuclear deterrence during the Cold War. Drawing on liberal internationalist theory and the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), the paper asserts that deliberate satellite destruction through anti-satellite (ASAT) testing and negligent debris generation risk triggering a self-sustaining cascade of collisions known as the Kessler Syndrome. Existing treaties, including the Outer Space Treaty and the Artemis Accords, lack enforceable mechanisms to prevent such catastrophic harm. To fill this …
Enabling The Decisive Advantage, Mallory Stewart
Enabling The Decisive Advantage, Mallory Stewart
Space and Defense
In her keynote address at the 2025 USSPACECOM Legal Conference, former Assistant Secretary of State Mallory Stewart argues that law, norms, and international cooperation are central to maintaining the United States’ “decisive advantage” in outer space. She emphasizes that rules and standards—far from constraining innovation or strategic flexibility—enhance predictability, reduce risk, and empower responsible competition. Stewart highlights the success of initiatives such as the Artemis Accords, the U.S. commitment to forgo destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) tests, and the global expansion of Space Situational Awareness (SSA) agreements as examples of how legal and normative frameworks reinforce stability and collaboration. She …
Space, Law, And National Security, Stephen Whiting
Space, Law, And National Security, Stephen Whiting
Space and Defense
In his address to the 2025 USSPACECOM Legal Conference, General Stephen Whiting underscores the indispensable role of legal professionals in shaping the future of military space operations and maintaining the rules-based international order in an increasingly contested domain. He outlines the rapid transformation of the space environment driven by commercial innovation, technological proliferation, and the accelerating threat landscape posed by adversaries such as China and Russia. The speech highlights U.S. Space Command’s three “moral responsibilities”: ensuring the delivery of space capabilities to the joint force and allies, protecting and defending critical space assets, and safeguarding the joint force from space-enabled …
Allied Abandonment And Nuclear Proliferation: Lessons From South Korea’S Secret Nuclear Program, Joseph W. Brown
Allied Abandonment And Nuclear Proliferation: Lessons From South Korea’S Secret Nuclear Program, Joseph W. Brown
Space and Defense
This article examines South Korea’s clandestine nuclear weapons program of the 1970s as a historical case study for understanding how perceptions of allied abandonment can drive nuclear proliferation. Drawing on alliance theory and archival evidence, the paper situates Seoul’s nuclear ambitions within the context of U.S. burden-shifting under the Nixon Doctrine, subsequent troop withdrawals, and diplomatic retrenchment across East Asia. Despite the continued U.S. military presence, South Korean leaders interpreted American rhetoric and policy actions as signaling a waning commitment to the alliance, prompting the initiation of a secret weapons program under President Park Chung-hee. The study identifies two enduring …
In Defense Of Space Offense, Alexander R. Kleitz
In Defense Of Space Offense, Alexander R. Kleitz
Space and Defense
This article argues that in the unique physical and operational environment of outer space, offensive operations hold intrinsic advantages over defensive ones. Drawing upon classical military theorists such as Clausewitz and Corbett, the author contends that the traditional dominance of the defensive form of war—rooted in terrestrial conditions—does not extend to celestial conflict. The transparency and remoteness of the space domain neutralize key defensive benefits, such as proximity to supply bases, concealment, and fortified positions, while also diminishing the factors that typically cause terrestrial offensives to culminate. Consequently, space conflict favors the side that seizes and maintains the initiative through …
Raising Public Awareness On Space Themes: Analysis Of Brazilian Space Policy Using Data From Google Trends, Andrea Felippe Cabello, Michele Melo
Raising Public Awareness On Space Themes: Analysis Of Brazilian Space Policy Using Data From Google Trends, Andrea Felippe Cabello, Michele Melo
Space and Defense
This study examines whether Brazil’s national space policy goal of increasing public awareness of space activities has been met, using Google Trends data as a proxy for public interest. While public perception surveys are scarce outside the United States, web-based data provide a cost-effective and timely alternative for gauging public engagement. The authors analyzed two decades (2004–2024) of Brazilian search activity related to space topics, institutions, technologies, companies, and missions. Results show no clear upward trend in public interest, suggesting that Brazil’s stated policy objectives of raising awareness have not yet translated into measurable outcomes. Although searches related to government …
Costly Signals In Space: Increasing Credibility Via Strategic Disclosure, Wendy N. Whitman Cobb
Costly Signals In Space: Increasing Credibility Via Strategic Disclosure, Wendy N. Whitman Cobb
Space and Defense
As space becomes an increasingly vital domain for national security, debates persist about how much secrecy should surround U.S. military space programs. This article argues that the strategic declassification and disclosure of selected space capabilities can strengthen U.S. deterrence by enhancing the credibility of deterrent threats. Drawing from theories of costly signaling and audience costs, the paper introduces strategic disclosure as a novel form of costly signal. Such disclosure imposes bureaucratic and operational costs while exposing capabilities to potential adversary countermeasures—thereby demonstrating resolve and seriousness of intent. In tandem, greater public transparency about space programs cultivates informed domestic audiences capable …
Space And Defense Vol. 16 No. 2 Editor's Note, Damon Coletta
Space And Defense Vol. 16 No. 2 Editor's Note, Damon Coletta
Space and Defense
No abstract provided.
Space And Defense Vol. 16 No. 2 Table Of Contents, Editors Space And Defense
Space And Defense Vol. 16 No. 2 Table Of Contents, Editors Space And Defense
Space and Defense
No abstract provided.
Space And Defense Vol. 16 No. 2 Front Matter, Editors Space And Defense
Space And Defense Vol. 16 No. 2 Front Matter, Editors Space And Defense
Space and Defense
No abstract provided.
Space & Defense Volume 16 Issue 2 Fall 2025 (Whole Issue), Editors Space And Defense
Space & Defense Volume 16 Issue 2 Fall 2025 (Whole Issue), Editors Space And Defense
Space and Defense
No abstract provided.