Debris from ASAT tests creating ‘bad neighborhood’ in low Earth orbit: Analyst

Debris from ASAT tests creating ‘bad neighborhood’ in low Earth orbit: Analyst
Debris from ASAT tests creating ‘bad neighborhood’ in low Earth orbit: Analyst

Russian and Chinese anti-satellite tests are responsible for “pretty much 20 percent” of “conjunction” warnings, that is predictions that two space objects are likely to collide, in 2022, said the State Department’s Eric Desautels.

US pledges no destructive ASAT missile tests, urges international norm

US pledges no destructive ASAT missile tests, urges international norm
US pledges no destructive ASAT missile tests, urges international norm

Until now, no US administration was willing to do anything formal, even if only making a public pledge, that would tie the military’s hands in any way regarding the use of ASATs. 

Space Force Reaches Out To New Partners– Eye On China

Space Force Reaches Out To New Partners– Eye On China
Space Force Reaches Out To New Partners– Eye On China

“Other areas we’re looking for opportunities are also out in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, to develop new and different partnerships in space that we may not have enjoyed in other domains in the past,” Gen. DT Thompson, vice chief of the Space Force, says.

US Should Start Space Security Talks With Russia, China

US Should Start Space Security Talks With Russia, China
US Should Start Space Security Talks With Russia, China

The Trump administration should declare a U.S. moratorium on destructive ASAT testing and work with like-minded countries to begin laying the groundwork for an eventual legal prohibition. These would be an immense step forward on limiting future ASAT testing and enhancing space security for both the United States and the world.

What Would Space Force FIX? No One Would Notice Its Disappearance

What Would Space Force FIX? No One Would Notice Its Disappearance
What Would Space Force FIX? No One Would Notice Its Disappearance

Born as what most thought was a joke in March 2018, President Trump’s Space Force had by June become a White House directive to the Pentagon. Since then the Trump Administration has been considering possible variants in the Force’s subordination, authorities, size, and budget, while Acting SecDef Shanahan has already created a working group to…

Chinese Pilots ‘Safe & Professional’ – For Now: PACAF

Chinese Pilots ‘Safe & Professional’ – For Now: PACAF
Chinese Pilots ‘Safe & Professional’ – For Now: PACAF

But while the skies are quiet today, US Pacific Air Forces are preparing for possible conflict: fielding new weapons like the F-35 stealth fighter and the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), adding more space-operations planners to theater staffs, and reemphasizing that old-fashioned initiative so junior commanders can act when an enemy cuts off their communications with higher headquarters.

Space Mystery: Are Russian Doll Sats a Threat?

Space Mystery: Are Russian Doll Sats a Threat?
Space Mystery: Are Russian Doll Sats a Threat?

The State Department and Pentagon are expressing concern over new Russian and Chinese activities in space, while the White House is pushing for the creation of a Space Force.

Stopping The Slide Towards A War In Space: The Sky’s Not Falling, Part 2

Stopping The Slide Towards A War In Space: The Sky’s Not Falling, Part 2
Stopping The Slide Towards A War In Space: The Sky’s Not Falling, Part 2

Yesterday, Joan Johnson-Freese argued that complicit and compliant media have helped the Pentagon overhype the threat of war in space — to the point that exaggerated US efforts to prepare for conflict might help start one. In today’s article, she outlines how US policy got to this point and how to correct it. — the…

Issues To Watch At Space & Missile Defense Conference: Heritage

Issues To Watch At Space & Missile Defense Conference: Heritage
Issues To Watch At Space & Missile Defense Conference: Heritage

Monday marks the beginning of the Army-centric Space and Missile Defense Symposium, an annual conference in Huntsville, Ala.  Here are a few topics likely to generate conference buzz. Missile Defense The Obama administration’s 2016 budget request for missile defense investments went up slightly to $9.6 billion for missile defense development and operations, of which $8.1 billion is for the Missile Defense…

Taking Out The Space Trash; A Model For Space Cooperation

Taking Out The Space Trash; A Model For Space Cooperation
Taking Out The Space Trash; A Model For Space Cooperation

Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor of national security at the Naval War College and a member of our Board of Contributors, is one of the world’s experts on international space cooperation.  Decoding this stuff can get very complicated since many of those involved in international space issues toss around terms like COPUOS, IADC, apogee, LEO, GEO…