Should the U.S. place limits on the development of space weapons? What should go in the category of space weapon? What challenges will be faced in the development of space weapons? How will these developments tie into furthering technology for space travel? How will these advances affect life here on earth?
Currently the United States does not have weapons of mass destruction in space. The United States does have tactical devices in space providing defense and supporting campaigns that take place here on earth. The United States can jam or destroy enemy satellite ground control stations with aircraft or special operations forces.1 Using surveillance satellites U.S. military forces are able to utilize the most up to date intelligence available giving the U.S. military a distinct tactical advantage. Weather reports everywhere on the planet are available at any given moment. The weaponization of space is the next logical step for the U.S. military. There are currently four main classifications of space weapons. One is directed energy weapons which use focused energy transmitted at the speed of light to destroy targets. Directed energy weapons could destroy targets on or above the earth’s surface. This type of weapon uses a large amount of fuel to destroy a target as it requires the light beam to stay on target long enough to create the necessary heat to destroy it. The other three types all destroy targets by delivering mass to the target by either using kinetic energy due to velocity and mass or the stored chemical energy of conventional explosives.1 Kinetic weapons designed to destroy a target above earth’s surface would use impact velocity to do the job. A large number of satellites would be needed to constantly have a satellite...
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...r against the weaponization of space it will most likely be a reality in the relatively near future. The sooner the U.S. funds programs to work on this the better. Whoever rules space will rule the planet.
Works Cited
1. B. Lambeth, Mastering the Ultimate High Ground: Next Steps in the Military Uses of Space ( Kindle: RAND, 1999) 1-193
2. B. Preston, Space Weapons: Earth Wars (Kindle: RAND, 2002)1-205
3. M. Kaku, Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel ( Kindle: Anchor, 2008) 1-329
4. R. Handberg, Ballistic Missile Defense and the Future of American Security: Agendas, Perceptions. Technology, and Policy (Kindle: Praeger, 2001)1-264
5. A. Woolf, Missile Defense, Arms Control, and Deterrence: A New Strategic Framework (Kindle: Ninety-Nice Cent, 2009) 1-80
Stewart R. W. (2005). American Military History (Vol. 1). The United States Army and the
At the moment there is a ton of traffic in space and it is only building as more nations join the space faring ranks.14 This is a concern for every nation in space, as space forces are a foundational part to all military operations.15 Space Command is already a Major Command and it includes cyberspace which shows that it is important.16 With new technologies being developed and space travel becoming popular before the first public trip, it is only a matter of time till something happens and tensions rise.17 It is best to not wait for this to happen to make a change, and create the Space Force sooner rather than later.18 It is time just like when the Air Force was created from the Army Air Core as air power was the future, now space power is the future and it is time for the Space Force.19
8 Galum, John, Joshua Shakon and Tan Mau Wu. “National Missile Defense – A CS91 Final Project.” < http://www.cs.swarthmore.edu/~eroberts/cs91/projects/national-missile-defense/index.html>
Sherwin, M. (1973). The atomic bomb and the origins of the cold war. American Historical Review, 78: 1-7.
During the late 1940's and the 1950's, the Cold War became increasingly tense. Each side accused the other of wanting to rule the world (Walker 388). Each side believed its political and economic systems were better than the other's. Each strengthened its armed forces. Both sides viewed the Cold War as a dispute between right and wron...
Singer, Peter W. "War Made New: The History and Future of Technology and Warfare." The Brookings Institution. N.p., 26 Oct. 2006. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
5. Margiotta, Franklin D., Ed. “Brassey’s Encyclopedia of Military History and Biography”, Washington: Brassey’s, Inc. 1994
Glynn, Patrick. Closing Pandora's Box "Arms Races, Arms Control, and the History of the Cold War". New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, Inc. 1992.
To begin the eleventh chapter of “Beam Weapons,” author Jeff Hecht describes the Missile Defense concept and its problems. One of the programs, the Safeguard System, is massive causing it to be vulnerable and at points, useless because of the difficulties with the system and defending itself against ballistic missiles. Hecht discusses Low Altitude Defense System- use to defend silos containing MX missiles- and Space Based Defense System- use to defend cities against nuclear warheads. He analyzes the Space Laser Triad and the controversy the Space Laser Triad caused in the House Armed Service Committee, the Senate and within the Pentagon. The Space Laser Triad includes the “Talon Gold”- (insert), Alpha- (insert), and LODE (Large Optics Demonstration
The United States should limit the weapons of mass destruction in other countries because they are a threat not only to us and our allies, but to the world at large.
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Site. 1999. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'S “Cold War.” The Concise Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Third Edition. 1994: Columbia University Press.
It is within man’s blood and nature to explore, and space is our next New World. Man’s first achievement in space travel was the launch of the Sputnik on October 4, 1957. For the next decades, space travel was roaring like a rocket, fueled by man’s desire to explore, man’s desire for knowledge, and man’s desire to beat his enemies. However, these impulses have died out as the well of government funding has been diverted to wars and debts, and the interest of the American people has been diverted to wars and debts. Amidst all these issues it is debated as to whether or not space travel is worth the money and the attention of scientists, particularly since humanity faces so many issues on earth currently. However, because of the past inventions, current services, and future benefits, space travel is indeed worth the money and attention of governments and people. It is within our hands to control man’s advancement, and space travel is the next venue to do so.
It was originally assumed that the SDI program was a virtually perfect defense against a large intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, attacks, which required very competent weapons. An ICBM has three levels of flight; the boost phase, the midcourse phase, and the terminal phase. With the SDI program, a space-based directed energy, or a laser, weapon would be used to destroy ICBM’s in the boost phase. Ground-based, space-based lasers or continental weapons could be used to destroy ICBM’s in midcourse, and ground-based beam weapons and missile interceptors could be used to destroy ICBM’s in the terminal phase. But as the goals of the program have evolved toward more realistic ambitions, the requirements for highly competent weapons diminished. Therefore, the initial focus on space-based directed energy weapons gradually shifted toward interest in ground-based kinetic energy weapons.
Smith, William Y and Anatoli I. Gribkov. Operation ANADYR: U.S. and Soviet Generals Recount the Cuban Missile Crisis. Chicago: Edition Q, 1994.
Technology! Yes, it has its positives, but like all other things is also has its negatives. Would we really need hover cars? They would still congest ?air space?. What would be the benefits of splitting the atom more that once (What was the point of splitting it anyway)? Or will ?Little Boy? the World War Two atomic bomb containing Uranium be resurrected from the Japanese city of Hiroshima and be upgraded to wipe out the brain stems of individuals whose unique brain patterns have been programmed into the device? For years technology has been cultivated. Powerful and ingenious it maybe, but in our hands this technology has been used for demoralizing war! If we carry on using these technological advancements for the use of hostilities on Earth (or maybe in space) then both parties will use their own weapons and both will be crushed, ground into tiny pieces and blasted into oblivion. As the saying goes...