Let’s partner with space-faring nations, not risk an arms race
As we note this month Sputnik’s 60th anniversary, which launched the space race between the Soviet Union and United States, it’s worth considering whether we’re on the cusp of another Cold War, but this time in space.
Some 10,000 miles above the Earth’s surface, conflicts between the United States and China could break out over orbiting satellites, which enable everything from your cell phone calls to bank transactions to GPS navigation. While Congress is deciding the role of space in national security and defense as it hammers out the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018, the priority should be on personnel and improving satellites and infrastructure, rather than on more powerful weaponry, which would militarize our atmosphere and spark an arms race.
The White House is also at work on space policies. Vice President Mike Pence convened the newly resurrected National Space Council on Oct. 5, with top members of the administration, military, intelligence community, and the commercial space and defense industry. Despite the lofty talk of space exploration, Pence’s recurring theme is to dominate all areas of space, with no rivals in view.
We have heard such language before.
Pence and congressional leaders regard space as a combat domain, but a myopic focus on militarizing satellites or developing weapons to shoot them down with missiles or Star Wars-like lasers could escalate, with the United States stoking tensions with China and Russia, and with everyone else in the dark. China already showed a decade ago that it has the technology to strike down a satellite. That could be just the beginning.
The House Defense bill, led by Rep. Mac Thornberry, RTexas, would streamline the convoluted process through which the government acquires, develops and maintains space systems, including satellites and ground-support systems. Its proposed Space Corps would speed the process for personnel filling the Air Force’s space-related positions. The bill also sets up a commander to run war fighting in space, like the cybercommand already in place. The Senate version, led by Sen. John McCain, RAriz., proposes a Chief Information Warfare Officer whose responsibilities would run the gamut from space systems to nuclear systems and cybersecurity.
The United States, in collaboration with scientists and engineers around the world, continues to make impressive achievements in space exploration every year, with spacecraft visiting the outer planets of the solar system as well as myriad moons and asteroids. Plans are under way for new space telescopes, space launch systems, and crew vehicles for returning astronauts to the moon and then eventually bringing humans to Mars. It’s important to prioritize space, but in a responsible way. Single-mindedly viewing space with a military lens could jeopardize these goals.
The United States, China and Russia together have far more satellites than any other country, and they launch more rockets than anyone else, too. All three countries have a lot to lose if an expensive or critical satellite were blown up or compromised. They also have the three biggest military budgets in the world. As U.S. military spending balloons to $700 billion, we could see more and more funding diverted into increasingly powerful weapons.
Pence, McCain and Thornberry don’t want China and Russia as equals in space. Rather than achieving dominance, they’ll encourage these rivals to strive for the same never-ending goal. We do need to rethink how we develop space systems, but in a sustainable way that doesn’t risk worsening relations with other space-faring nations and lead to potentially dangerous standoffs.
Unlike Star Wars, there is no glory in space conflicts. And as our history with nuclear weapons has shown, an arms race is neither a path toward peace nor security.