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Comment: The Threat of Space War (by Wojciech Gryc)

The United States spends the largest amount of money in absolute terms on its military, with many of these funds going to weapons research. Indeed, some of this research has actually benefited humanity, such as the invention of the Internet, which was spearheaded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). However, with space-based technologies increasing in use and efficacy, a number of disconcerting projects have been started.

On, August 2, 2004, the United States Air Force published the Doctrine Document 2-2.1, a document outlining the importance of space superiority in times of war. Spurred by their enemies' use of tools designed to hinder the use of technologies in the battlefield, such as the use of Global Positioning System jammers during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the document outlines the importance of “counterspace operations” - offensive and defensive tools to protect the US military and stop any opponents from using space-based tools to gain the upper hand in a battle.

Though such a document is unsettling on its own, coupled with the fact that both US presidential candidates have shown support for pre-emptive aggression, and the fragile state of the world under the “War on Terror”, these developments outline a real threat for peaceful space development.

In theory, space is a resource protected by a number of international treaties, including the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, and the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques. Together, these treaties prohibit the use of space for non-peaceful purposes, and make countries liable for deaths and damage caused by space-based technologies. The latter treaty in the list goes as far as to disallow the modification of the environment, including space, for non-peaceful purposes.

However, this has not stopped the United States and some multi-national corporations from pursuing research in the field. The US military and the RAND corporation have both published documents outlining different types of weapons that can be used in space, including lasers – promoted as “defense at the speed of light” - and blunt objects launched from space at extremely high energies.

Such “conventional” space weapons are not allowed by the treaties listed above, and will likely not be in use for a long time. 

Along with these treaties and research comes another threat – the use of space-based communications and private satellites for aggressive purposes. For example, terrorists using satellite phones are actually using space-based technologies to propagate war. Thus, technologies in outer space are already being used for non-peaceful purposes and are a threat, giving militaries with enough capability to disallow communications a reason to do so.

Such an outlook can be applied to dozens of satellites and organizations using space to transfer and gather information. Current treaties and laws focusing on space do not go far enough to protect such tools, and with the current race to send private citizens to space through the X-Prize competition, it is only a matter of time before space explodes as yet another easily accessible medium for companies and citizens to conduct their work.

If the international community does not take the initiative to further develop treaties and ensure the peaceful use of space, as well as to protect the fragile communications and technological infrastructure already present, it may be lost to military powers and networks.

Sources

“Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques.” Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. 1 October 2004. <http://www.opcw.org/html/db/cwc/more/enmod.html>.

“Counterspace Operations.” United States Air Force. 2 August 2004. 1 October 2004. <http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/service_pubs/afdd2_2_1.pdf>.

“Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space.” Office for Outer Space Affairs. 25 June 2001. 1 October 2004. <http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/SpaceLaw/lpos.html>.

Presidential Debate. CNN, 30 September 2004.

Preston, Bob, et al. “Space Weapons Earth Wars.” RAND. 2002. 1 October 2004. <http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1209/>.

Shachtman, Noah. “All’s Fair in Space War.” Wired. 1 October 2004. 1 October 2004. <http://www.wired.com/news/space/0,2697,65151,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1>.

“Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.” Office for Outer Space Affairs. 1 April 2003. 1 October 2004. <http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/SpaceLaw/outerspt.html>.

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