International Relations Commons^™

The New Space Order: Why Space Power Matters For Europe, Nicolas Peter

Space and Defense

More than fifty years since the dawn of the Space Age and twenty years since the end of the Cold War, space affairs and politics remain interlinked. Space activities are increasingly tied to national power for major world powers, and political objectives are still the driving force for most space activities. Yet in an ever more globalized and competitive multipolar world, status and power that arise from the employment and access to the most advanced technologies are now widely perceived as key to the powers and standings of states. The importance of space activities is increasing, transitioning in terms of …

Lawful Response To Attacks On Space Systems, James D. Rendleman

Space and Defense

What means may a nation lawfully employ to respond to and to defeat threats and attacks on its space systems? Treaties and customary law provide a strong incentive to limit space activities to non-aggressive “peaceful purposes.” They do not, however, proscribe space warfare or preparation for such conflict. Space system components are thus at risk, and can be attacked, degraded, or destroyed, simultaneously or each in detail. The use of force is allowed only in self-defense against an “armed attack” or in accord with authorization of the United Nations (UN). Kinetic, electromagnetic, or information operation attacks against space systems are …

Table Of Contents Volume 4 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Front Matter Volume 4 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Notes For Contributors, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Publisher's Corner, Roger G. Harrison

Space and Defense

Book Reviews of

Kalic, Sean, N. U.S. Presidents and the Militarization of Space, 1946-1967. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2012, 182pp., $40.00. Natalie Bormann and Michael Sheehan. Securing Outer Space: International Relations Theory and the Politics of Space. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, c2009, 2012 (pbk), 272 pp., $44.95 (pbk).

Thailand Post King Bhumibol Adulyadej: An Uncertain Future, Daniel Hughes

Space and Defense

Student Contribution

If tourism were proportional to political stability in the sense that more people would want to travel to destinations in which they are ensured some semblance of security, then Thailand would indeed be one of the most stable and secure countries in the world, particularly in 2011 according to Forbes and Lonely Planet travel blogs. The truth, however, is that Thailand is simply a country that has done well to mask its political turmoil with the exception of the Bangkok riots of 2006. In reality, Thailand is a whirlpool of political deception, monarchical clandestine operations, and military intervention. …

Afghan State Survival: How Education Influences Political Development, Fumiko Hedlund

Space and Defense

Student Contribution

The United States poured over fifty-two billion dollars of aid, ten years of operations, and 1,854 military members’ lives into war-torn Afghanistan, but these investments did not create a stable state.1 The successful recovery of the country and its long-term stability depend on the Afghan state’s ability to mature in capability and permanency. Although many factors influence political development, education remains a dynamic part of long-term development, and in Afghanistan’s case, can reduce the populace’s support of radicalism. Education allows political participation, increasing political development and improving the probability of state survival.

Space Crisis Management: Filling The Gaps, Jana Robinson, Michael Romancov

Space and Defense

The geopolitical influence of countries is most often measured by their economic strength, government stability, technological achievements, defense capabilities and overall international standing. For the United States and other select countries, space offers major strategic advantages and many nations are now competing to derive greater civilian, commercial, and military benefits from their presence in space. Protection of space assets and ensuring a stable and safe space environment are the responsibility of those that operate them, as well as those that formulate space policies. The quest for a workable space regime is appearing more often on the agendas of national and …

Past U.S. Actions: A Source For Foreign Perceptions Of U.S. Redlines In Space, Jonathan Mazur

Space and Defense

This paper examines the boundaries of possible United States redlines in space. A redline in space is a “marker” that when crossed would result in a military or strong diplomatic response—such as what might occur if a foreign actor temporarily or permanently interfered with any aspect of a U.S. space system. The United States has not published or possibly even defined its redlines in space—as recently noted during the 2010 U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) Deterrence Symposium by the then Commander for STRATCOM’s Joint Functional Component Command (JFCC) for Space in reference to the Schriever 2010 Wargames. The CDR JFCC Space …

Arms Control In The Third Space Age: Assessing International Efforts To Regulate Military Operations In Outer Space In The “3 C’S” Era, Walt Conrad, Justin Anderson, Sarah Jacobs Gamberini

Space and Defense

Preserving1and protecting the free and open use of outer space benefits all space-faring nations and is vital to U.S. national interests. U.S. military and civil space operations, however, face a number of growing challenges. Several countries possess or are developing means to disrupt or destroy space systems; space debris threatens the safe passage of spacecraft; and outer space is an environment where the United States now competes with a rapidly growing number of other space-faring nations. To remain the world’s preeminent military space power, the United States must consider a variety of means and strategies to address these challenges.

Editor's Note Volume 6 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents Volume 6 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Front Matter Volume 6 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Notes For Contributors, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Publisher’S Corner: Don’T Call It Cyberspace, Roger G. Harrison

Space and Defense

It is said of human beings that we are a pattern discerning species. We tend to search for or invent patterns even where none exist—hence the popularity of power point.1 When we deal with something truly unprecedented, our tendency is nonetheless to find some precedent for it, or, failing that, to fall back on analogy, metaphor or simile, all tools the mind uses to confront the unknown future with the familiar—which is one reason that large organizations faced with unique challenges almost invariably get it wrong.

Space Verification, Eisenhower Center For Space And Defense Studies

Space and Defense

The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to determine to what extent multilateral agreements to limit disruptive actions in space and/or establish norms of behavior are verifiable; second, to consider under what circumstances space verification serves U.S. interests.

Identifying America’S Vital Interests, Adam Lowther, Casey Lucius

Space and Defense

As the Department of Defense (DoD) continues to shift its focus from Europe to the Asia-Pacific while also attempting to meet budgetary challenges, academics and analysts are examining the nation’s difficult financial outlook and contemplating not only the kind of military the United States needs, but the kind it can afford. Such considerations are, however, putting the cart before the horse. A much more basic challenge faces the country. Simply stated, the United States has no clearly defined and broadly accepted set of national interests. Instead, as one report noted, “Many find it difficult to distinguish between America’s national interests …

International Commercial Avenues To Complement Deterrence Actions, Jonty Kasku-Jackson

Space and Defense

The world relies heavily on services provided by satellite assets, but ensuring the safety and security of those assets is extremely difficult. Classic deterrence approaches rely almost exclusively on the threat of force to dissuade one state from acting against the interests of another. Although classic deterrence was arguably successful against a single adversary during the Cold War, it seems insufficient in the current multipolar strategic environment. In addition to state actors, the strategic environment is complicated by a number of non-state players in space. Some scholars present a theory in which a state could dominate earth if it could …

International Space Negotiations, Emerging Space Powers, And U.S. Efforts To Protect The Military Use Of Space, Justin Anderson, Walt Conrad, Sarah Jacobs Gamberini

Space and Defense

In recent years strategists and diplomats from space faring nations have engaged in debates with their foreign counterparts (and in some cases, with each other) on a range of issues related to norms and laws – or the relative lack thereof – applicable to the military use of space. Questions have run the gamut from the very broad (should the slim volume of outer space law relevant to military platforms and operations be expanded?) to the very specific (what new technical tools are available for the verification regime of a notional future space arms control agreement?).

Editor's Note Volume 7 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents Volume 7 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Front Matter Volume 7 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Notes For Contributors, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Publishers Corner Manned Space Exploration: America’S Folly, Roger G. Harrison

Space and Defense

Publishers Corner: Essays

If we want to assess the benefits of human space exploration, particularly to Mars, who better to consult than the good folks at MIT, a place presumably bristling with engineering knowledge and human genius. Fortuitously enough, the “Space, Policy and Society Research Group” at MIT has produced a study on “The Future of Human Space Flight” for our edification and enjoyment. It is six years old at this writing, but the facts have not altered appreciably: the humans who would have to be transported to, sustained on, and returned from the red planet are the same frail …

Book Review The Strategist: Brent Scowcroft And The Call Of National Security By Bartholomew Sparrow (Public Affairs, 2015), Schuyler Foerster

Space and Defense

A popular new biography pays overdue tribute to a living legend. Bartholomew Sparrow’s rich and detailed biography of Brent Scowcroft—a still very active and now nonagenarian—has been on bookshelves since early this year. Many, including those who have an intimate familiarity with some of the events and personalities in this book, have already offered thorough reviews of the work.

Terror On High: Deterring Asat, Stephen Shea, Mathew Johnson, Alfredo Zurita

Space and Defense

Student Contribution:

As technology becomes even more pervasive in daily life, valuable and relatively vulnerable space assets will inspire greater desire to attack U.S. power through space.1 As a result, Anti-Satellite (ASAT) deterrence, a fledgling area of study, will need to be developed and addressed in detail. The proceeding essay will attempt to answer the following questions. What motivates space attacks? How will the enemy try to attack our space assets? What can be done to deter future ASAT attacks?

Cyber Deterrence: Is A Deterrence Model Practical In Cyberspace?, Nathaniel Youd

Space and Defense

Student Contribution:

After reconsidering massive retaliation versus escalation dominance concepts from nuclear deterrence, escalation dominance, investing in capability to respond proportionally at each level of cyber attack, may be the most practical and effective military strategy for strengthening cyber deterrence.

Argentina Space: Ready For Launch, Daniel Blinder

Space and Defense

Desire for a comprehensive space program, one that includes an indigenous satellite launch capability, motivated Argentina to strengthen relevant policy institutions and carefully reconsider its approach in foreign affairs. In the process, this space power on the semi-periphery bridged bitter domestic partisan differences on the federal budget and allayed security fears of the international community, fulfilling at least some important national objectives regarding economic development as well as Argentinean access to space.

Cyberwar: Clausewitzian Encounters, Marco Cepik, Diego Rafael Canabarro, Thiago Borne Ferreira

Space and Defense

As Clausewitz’s masterpiece suggests, language matters for how states conceptualize and plan for war. ‘Cyberwar’, now on the lips of nearly every national security policymaker, may turn out to be a misnomer.