Space Alert! Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space Winter/Spring 2021 [email protected] • www.space4peace.org • (207) 389-4606 Newsletter #40

Elon Musk (Space X) has gone nuts by Bruce K. Gagnon the general assembly accepted in 1962. Elon Musk, and his company Space The treaty has several major points X, has a plan to take control of Mars. to it. Some of the key ones are: They want to ‘Terraform’ the dusty red • Space is free for all nations to planet to make it green and livable like explore, and sovereign claims cannot our Mother Earth. be made. Space activities must be for The first time I can recall hearing the benefit of all nations and humans. about Terraforming Mars was years ago (So, nobody owns the moon or other while on a speaking tour in Southern planetary bodies.) California. I picked up a copy of the • Nuclear weapons and other weap- LA Times and read an article about ons of mass destruction are not allowed the Mars Society, which has dreams in Earth orbit, on celestial bodies or in of moving our human civilization to other outer-space locations. (In other this faraway planet. The article quoted words, peace is the only acceptable use Mars Society President Robert Zubrin of outer-space locations). • Individual nations (states) are re- (a Lockheed Martin executive), who sponsible for any damage their space called the Earth “a rotting, dying, stink- objects cause. Individual nations are ing planet” and made a case for the also responsible for all governmental transformation of Mars. and nongovernmental activities con- Imagine the cost. Why not instead ducted by their citizens. These states spend money to heal our lush, beauti- must also “avoid harmful contamina- ful, colorful home? What about the SpaceX is selling T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Occupy Mars” and “Nuke tion” due to space activities. ethical considerations of humans de- M a r s .” Even NASA, which has been send- ciding that another planet ought to be with other cultures and civilizations. As Business Insider explains, Musk “has ing probes to Mars for many years, has transformed for our ‘use’? What about In other words ‘Do no harm’. championed the idea of launching nuclear stated that Terraforming Mars is not the legal implications as the UN’s Outer But Elon Musk wants to do big harm weapons just over Mars’ poles since 2015. possible. (NASA is most interested in Space Treaty forbids such egotistical to Mars and whatever elemental life He believes it will help warm the planet mining operations on the Red Planet.) domination plans? that might exist there. and make it more hospitable for human Their web site states: I am immediately reminded of the In an article recently posted on Coun- life.” Science fiction writers have long fea- TV Star Trek show ‘Prime Directive’. terPunch, journalism professor Karl As space.com says: “The explosions tured terraforming, the process of creating The Prime Directive, also known as Grossman writes: would vaporize a fair chunk of Mars’ ice an Earth-like or habitable environment on Starfleet General Order 1, the Non-In- “Elon Musk, founder and CEO of caps, liberating enough water vapor and another planet, in their stories. Scientists terference Directive, was the embodi- Space X, has been touting the detonation carbon dioxide—both potent greenhouse themselves have proposed terraforming to ment of one of Starfleet’s most impor- of nuclear bombs on Mars to, he says, gases—to warm up the planet substan- enable the long-term colonization of Mars. “transform it into an Earth-like planet.” tially, the idea goes.” tant ethical principles: noninterference A solution common to both groups is to It’s been projected that it would take release carbon dioxide gas trapped in the more than 10,000 nuclear bombs to Martian surface to thicken the atmosphere Global Network NONPROFIT ORG carry out the Musk plan. The nuclear and act as a blanket to warm the planet. PO Box 652 US POSTAGE bomb explosions would also render However, Mars does not retain enough Brunswick, ME 04011 PAID Mars radioactive. The nuclear bombs PERMIT 56 carbon dioxide that could practically be LEWISTON, ME would be carried to Mars on the fleet put back into the atmosphere to warm of 1,000 Starships that Musk wants Mars, according to a new NASA-spon- to build—like the one that blew up sored study. Transforming the inhospi- recently. table Martian environment into a place The fundamental UN treaty relating astronauts could explore without life to these questions is the Treaty on Prin- support is not possible without technology ciples Governing the Activities of States well beyond today’s capabilities. in the Exploration and Use of Outer In the end, Musk’s call to ‘Occupy’ Space, including the Moon and Other and ‘Nuke’ Mars could easily be de- Celestial Bodies, or simply the “Outer scribed as typical ‘American exception- Space Treaty.” It was ratified in 1967, largely based on a set of legal principles (See Musk P #6. ) 2 Space Alert! Winter/Spring 2021

Challenge the global space control doctrine by Bruce K. Gagnon American citizen $600 to help them through Let me first say happy New Year to all who what has become the worst economic crisis read these words. 2020 was a terribly challeng- since the Great Depression. How politicians ing time for most people around the globe. It think families are going to survive that are is safe to say that we all wish for a better and behind in paying bills, out-of-work, without safer 2021. healthcare, and not able to feed their families Here in the U.S. we’ve just witnessed the is beyond me. At the same time the Congress brutal transition of power from Trump to made sure to protect the interests of the mili- Biden. The ill-fated last minute Trump coup tary industrial complex by handing them an- attempt, and heightened racial tensions during other record-breaking appropriation for 2021. the past four years, signal difficult times ahead. The corporate lockdown of the Congress is Sadly with the current Wall Street and military complete. Italy’s WW II fascist leader Benito industrial complex control of Congress it ap- Mussolini defined fascism as the “the merging pears that real change in America will take ex- of the state and corporate power”. Isn’t that traordinarily determined organizing and much what we have today in the U.S. and much of national healing. the capitalist world? We must honestly remember a few things I believe the first thing to do is to acknowl- about Joe Biden. He was a huge promoter of edge our predicament and stop believing George W. Bush’s illegal and immoral 2003 that the Democrats (or any other corporate ‘shock and awe’ attack and occupation of Iraq. Watch this closely with a critical eye.) The Russians controlled ‘liberal’ party) will rescue us. I re- The 1994 “tough on crime” law authored by Biden, have offered to sweeten the pot by saying their new mind you that when Trump got the new ‘Space Force’ and signed by President Bill Clinton, was one of the hypersonic missiles are negotiable. approved in Congress the only thing the Democrats key contributors to mass incarceration. Biden has During this past year we’ve been witnessing a vir- demanded was to call it the ‘Space Corp’. long wished to cut Social Security and other social tual explosion of plans to construct new ‘spaceports’ This same story is being played out all over the spending in order to ‘upgrade’ the Pentagon’s capa- at various locations around the world. Proposals have ‘NATO-led’ world. Japan, South Korea, Italy, France, bility to wage endless war. And finally, Biden was in included building them in Scotland, Hawaii, Maine, Germany, Australia, UK, Sweden, Brazil and others charge of the illegal U.S. orchestrated coup d’état in Japan and beyond. Some are still in the works and are clamping down on economic justice and civil lib- Ukraine in 2014 that installed a neo-Nazi regime. others have been put on the shelf for now. Space X erties and their so-called ‘liberal’ opposition parties Covid has changed our work this year in the Global and other corporate-owned launch companies are are sitting on their hands. Corporate globalization Network. We were not able to hold our planned an- scanning the globe for launch sites as the ‘need’ for is consolidating power and pushing out opposition nual space conference in Canada last spring (which tens of thousands of mini-satellites for 5G are mak- voices. was going to be folded into a larger peace coalition ing the aerospace industry drool as they envision The preparation for war with Russia and China by conference). The same conference will be held this the money that can be made hoisting them into the a steroidal NATO needs to be vigorously denounced June 4-5 on Zoom with the GN fully participat- heavens. and protested as often as possible. Movements in ing. Then our Keep Space for Peace Week plans in A couple big problems immediately come to mind NATO-member nations must oppose funding in- October were impacted as most local groups were when I think of thousands of mini-satellite launches. creases for the out-of-control military arm of corpo- under lock down. Instead of the usual public events One would be the toxic rocket exhaust punching rate capital which aims to move into the Pacific as a on the street, we organized a well-attended webinar a hole in the Earth’s ozone layer thus making our global military alliance. The U.S. is pushing to have on Zoom. https://youtu.be/1Kh4-r6Jh20 climate crisis worse. The growing space debris prob- NATO trump (if I may use that word) the United Thankfully board member, Will Griffin, (GN social lem, with increasingly congested orbits adding to the Nations as the preeminent global assembly of nations. media consultant) has been continuing to produce mess, makes the chances of an accidental avalanche This must be rejected. our monthly space videos which are getting excellent of crashes in space more likely. This could ultimately We must work hard to continually show the deadly reviews. You can find them on YouTube at ‘GNs- make it impossible to launch a rocket off Earth due connections between climate crisis, economic de- pace4peace’. Various board members are also writing to the ‘minefield’ of space junk circling our already pression and the costs of endless war preparation. more articles and participating in other space-related fragile planet. Astronomers are upset about the dark None of our movements will ultimately be successful Zoom events. night sky being fouled by legions of new blinking unless and until we show these clear links and work This newsletter arrives as the U.S.-NATO demoni- satellites encircling our planet. together. zation of Russia and China operation is set on full- As a result the Global Network moved in Janu- We must be more determined than ever to orga- speed ahead. The U.S. has continued to walk away ary, 2021 to join as a partner in the ‘Petition for an nize public resistance to this wedding of government from arms control treaties with the last big one (New Emergency Expedited Ruling in Federal Court’ to ask and corporate power. We must use every possible Start Treaty) expected to run out in February 2021. the Federal Communications Commission (which lever available to us in our creative and determined Biden has said he wants to extend the current treaty regulates satellite communications) to investigate resistance. for five-years (a change from Trump’s position) but and rule against this massive number of mini-satellite Best of luck to you. early indications are that Washington intends to launches because of their many impacts on our lives impose unknown ‘costs’ linked to Democrats previ- and on Mother Earth. —Bruce K. Gagnon has coordinated the Global Network ous flimsy claims that Russia interfered in the 2016 How do we get out from behind this eight-ball? since its founding in 1992. He lives in Bath, Maine. election. (This might turn out to be a U.S. excuse to As of this writing it seems that in Washington the kill the treaty while transferring the blame to Russia. best the Congress could recently do was to give each Winter/Spring 2021 Space Alert! 3

Esrange Launch Expansion in Sweden by Agneta Norberg “By the silence, you understand the importance,” said Professor Noam Chomsky. I have this in mind when I read the reports about the developments of space installations in the North of Sweden. Another quote by Bruce Gagnon comes in mind: “All civilian space programs can be used for mili- tary purposes.” Bruce Gagnon is the co-founder of Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. In 1982, a book was published in Norway: The Bomb-target Norway, by Jorgen Johansen. It was a frightening catalog about the numerous U.S. ‘mili- tary installations along the Norwegian landmass. The book warned the Nor- wegian population that Norway would initially be targeted if a war broke out government announced that Esrange will facilities, and an available unpopulated ellite weapon and destroy and damage between the Soviet Union and the U.S. receive millions in fresh money to launch land area covering 5,200 square kilo- military opponent´s satellites...which Most important was the information of satellites. The first rocket with satellites meters. Remote controlled target drones means China’s and Russia´s satellites. the big radar installations in Norway, onboard will be launched in 2022. This and UAV and UCAV are tested at NEAT. [They will also be used to intercept and some close to the Russian border. means an important expansion and the Sweden will be one of the very few share military information.] Today Sweden has joined the club project “The New Esrange” will acquire countries in the world with the capability Sweden has, with its vicinity to Rus- [NATO]. Numerous bases are installed at least 20 new employees. Esrange is to launch small satellites. “We are proud sia, become a servile obedient vassal from the North to the South in the already one of the most active launch to have taken this decision,” said Matilda state to the U.S. What a shame! “neutral and non-aligned” country of sites in the world and the latest decision Ernkrans, Swedish Space Minister, dur- Sweden. We have Lerkil in the South and allows it to proceed with its goal to be ing her visit to Esrange. —Agneta Norberg is a member of Women Esrange in the North of Sweden—the able to launch small satellites or mini- What are mini-satellites good for? for Peace and serves on the Global Net- world´s biggest downloading station satellites into the orbit by 2022. Eventually, I found one plausible an- work board. She lives in Stockholm, from satellites. Sweden’s new strategy, decided upon swer: They can be used as an anti-sat- Sweden South of Gothenburg and not far from in 2018, will underline the importance the City of Kiruna, Esrange controls or of developing Esrange in order to “fully monitors 24 satellites from this station. utilize” it’s potential. It will “strengthen The Swedish Space Corporation, which Sweden´s position as a prominent space runs the station, has made an alliance nation”. with the U.S. corporation Universal Esrange is based inside NEAT, short Space Net. It is called “The Priora Net.” for North European Aerospace Test Today Esrange works in close coop- range. NEAT is the largest overland test eration with NASA and was from the range in Western Europe. At NEAT tests beginning presented as a civil project. of different aerospace vehicles are per- It works closely with Vandenberg Air formed. Missile tests can be conducted Force Base in California. Additionally, by using a restricted ground space of Esrange launches sound rockets and 1650 km2. Similarly, sounding rockets high-altitude balloons. and stratospheric balloon flights can In October last autumn, the Swedish be launched using launch pads, ground 4 Space Alert! Winter/Spring 2021 Global Ban on ‘Missile Defense’ Needed by Subrata Ghoshroy targets in the U.S. in retaliation after a On November 16, 2020, the U.S. U.S. first strike. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Although the intercept scenarios reported that it had conducted a suc- would likely be different since a Rus- cessful intercept of an intercontinental sian ICBM would have to be inter- ballistic missile (ICBM) off the coast cepted in the ascending phase. The time of Hawaii. The downed missile was between detection and interception launched from Kwajalein Atoll in the would be much shorter, given the prox- Marshall Islands. The interceptor was imity of the launch sites. There is also a Standard Missile (SM)-3 Block IIa, the uncertainty about the veracity of which is made by Raytheon Corpora- the claims made by the MDA because tion. It was launched from the USS there is no independent verification of John Finn, an Arleigh Burke-class the test. It is common knowledge that destroyer, which is equipped with the the Pentagon repeatedly lied in the past Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System about the success of MD tests. The (MD). The MDA said that it was a author witnessed firsthand how the “developmental test” that satisfied a Pentagon called the first flight test of the Congressional mandate to evaluate MD program, in 1997, a ‘total success,’’ the feasibility of the SM-3 Block IIA when it was the exact opposite. bilateral arms control agreement be- or current or planned U.S. long-range missile’s capability to defeat an ICBM Russian military planners cannot be tween U.S. and Russia. It is scheduled conventional strike capabilities.” threat. The MDA said further that the expected to rest on their laurels because to expire on February 5, 2021. Arguably, there is no need for MD SM-3 Block IIA was originally de- U.S. systems have not been proven. The Trump administration has been systems against short- or intermediate- signed and built for the Intermediate- They have to also consider the pos- reckless with its acceleration of the range missiles. U.S. conventional supe- range Ballistic Missile threat set. sibility that the U.S. may be tempted MD programs and withdrawal from riority can easily overcome any such The U.S. has been saying for many to carry out a preemptive strike falsely the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces missile threats, and, as discussed above, years that the system it is currently believing their own rhetoric. As re- (INF) treaty. It was also threatening to missile defenses against ICBM threats developing is designed to counter a ported in a Newsweek article, the Rus- let the New START expire. The Biden are costly, ineffective, and extremely “rogue nation” threat. Countries like sian Foreign Ministry spokesperson administration will most likely extend dangerous. Iran and North Korea have capabilities Maria Zakharova branded the test “a the treaty by some period. President It is high time to end this bipartisan to hit forward-deployed U.S. troops new confirmation of the dangerous and Putin has already agreed to a “warhead consensus. We should demand that the with intermediate-range missiles and destabilizing character” of Washing- freeze” for a one-year extension. MD program be drastically cut back, if possibly long-range missiles. However, ton’s anti-ballistic missile strategy and There are many other compelling not canceled altogether. Instead, U.S. they are not as sophisticated as Rus- “its obvious anti-Russian orientation.” reasons for ending the MD program, should take the lead in proposing a sia or even China. It basically means Russians have repeatedly warned as I have outlined in my recent article global ban on MD systems. that these nations would not have the about the possibility of another nuclear in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. “sophistication” to deploy decoys with arms race arising from the deployment It is an extreme waste of taxpayer —Subrata Ghoshroy, a member of the their “nuclear” payload. The U.S. does of MD systems because defense gives money, ineffective, and counterpro- GN’s Advisory Board, is a Research Affili- not yet have the capability to defeat rise to more offense. The landmark ductive. It is also potentially the most ate with Program on Science, Technology, decoys. Furthermore, a Russian attack 1972 ABM treaty was the result of this dangerous because it is destroying & Society at the Massachusetts Institute would likely consist of a salvo launch fundamental realization by both sides. the strategic stability between the two of Technology and a Visiting Professor with a large number of missiles at once. However, even after the unilateral nuclear superpowers. Consequently, at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Hence, the present system is not a U.S. withdrawal from the ABM treaty it could produce an uncontrolled He is also the Co-Chair of the Interna- threat to Russia. in 2002, Russia negotiated two arms nuclear arms race, which will not be tional Network of Engineers & Scientists However, Russia does not agree with control agreements with the U.S., which limited to U.S. and Russia alone but (INES) for Global Responsibility. the U.S. assessment. It reacted swiftly reduced the nuclear arsenals of both include China, India, and Pakistan, to the U.S. announcement accusing the nations. not to mention volatile countries in U.S. of lying about its true intentions The earlier treaty, known simply as the Middle East. for developing a global MD system. the Strategic Offensive Reduction Trea- Yet, there is bipartisan support for Russia believes that the real aim of MD programs in Congress. For ex- Planned Gift to GN ty, expired in 2012. It was superseded If you are in the process of estate the Pentagon is to gain a nuclear “first by the New START treaty, which was ample, a March 26, 2010 White House planning, please consider making a strike” capability by undermining signed by Presidents Obama and Putin Press Release announcing the signing gift of a tax-deductible donation in the Russian nuclear deterrence. Russia in 2010. It reduced the total number of the New START treaty, declared that form of a bequest, donation of stock, points to the U.S. deployment of SM-3 of warheads by each side to 1,550 and the treaty placed “No Constraints on or other instruments to the Global Network. Your planned gift would missiles in the Aegis Ashore systems limited the total number of delivery Missile Defense and Conventional in Poland and Romania, which are be an important contribution to our vehicles, including silo-based ICBMs, Strike: The Treaty does not contain movement to stop the militarization now part of NATO. The Russian fear submarine-launched ballistic missiles, any constraints on testing, develop- and nuclearization of space. Thank you is that the SM-3 missiles would be able and heavy bombers, to a maximum ment or deployment of current or for your consideration. to intercept Russian ICBMs bound for of 800 each. It is the last remaining planned U.S. missile defense programs Winter/Spring 2021 Space Alert! 5 MD Radar in Hawaii Back on Track by Lynda Williams In the last Space Alert #39, I reported that the proposed Homeland Defense Radar in Hawaii (HDR-H) had been zeroed out in the Pentagon’s 2021 budget proposal, indicating the project was all but cancelled. According to Vice Adm. Jon Hill, the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) director, the agency had decided to push the radar “to the right because of host issues that we have to come through. We still have that issue …We moved it out.” However, due to the lobbying efforts of the Congressional del- egation from Hawaii led by Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, the HDR-H was put back into the $740 billion National Defensive Authorization Act (NDAA) to the tune of $133 million. Sparky Rodrigues, a local activist with the group Mālama Mākua that opposes the HDR-H, said he felt blindsided when he learned the radar’s funding had been restored. He accused Hawaii’s congressional delegation of resurrecting a dead project to create job and contract opportunities for local construc- tion companies at the cost of desecrating sacred native lands. intended to identify nuclear ballistic missiles early tending the range of Aegis SM3-Block 2 interceptor “We participated in the community meetings, in flight from North Korea, to be intercepted by 44 while awaiting a $5 billion upgrade on GMD with submitted testimony and stopped the radar,” he told ground-based midcourse interceptors (GMD) based Next Generation Interceptors (NGI), that will take local Hawaii newspaper, Civil Beat. in California and Alaska. But after nearly twenty 10 years to develop and deploy. The Aegis SM3- The MDA originally had proposed three sites on years and $100 billion, the ageing GMD system Block 2 interceptor was designed for short and in- Oahu for the 8-story-tall-by-8-story-wide $2 bil- has never been tested in real world scenarios with termediate range targets, not intercontinental-range lion radar station that would take up approximately decoys. ballistic missiles (ICBM). SM3 interceptors are 160-acres of land, one on Kuaokala Ridge adjacent According to Laura Grego, Senior Scientist with cheaper than GMDs and can be deployed on Aegis to the Air Force’s Kaena Point Satellite Tracking the Union of Concerned Scientists, “These radars are navy destroyers and on land in an Aegis Ashore Station, and two additional at the U.S. Army’s Ka- meant to try to help you discriminate from the real system. Arms control experts fear that the US de- huku Training Area on Oahu’s north shore. After target and a confusing decoy. We’ve never tested the ploying large numbers of Aegis interceptors will discovering native temples or heiau sacred to native system in anything like those conditions. I’m pretty compromise new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty Hawaiians, the MDA eliminated the Kuaokala Ridge skeptical that they would even work well,” she told (START) negotiations. site in favor of sites at the Pacific Missile Range Test Hawaii News Now. Archeological surveys and Environmental Impact Facility (PMRF) on the island of Kauai. PMRF is MDA cancelled the HDR-H because it is outdated Studies currently being developed for all proposed the world’s largest training missile range that houses technology that will not be able to handle looming sites should be released in early 2021, more than a both THAAD and Aegis Ashore MD interceptor test hypersonic missiles being developed by the US, year behind schedule. The NDAA also requires the systems. The Pentagon is also considering plans for China and Russia in a new hypersonic arms race. MDA to produce a report within 30 days regard- deploying Aegis Ashore as an operational interceptor The MDA was moving the money from ground- ing the Kauai site’s viability and impact on PMRF site at PRMF, a very controversial proposal for locals. based radar systems like the HDR-H to space based training range operations, in early February, 2021. If HDR-H is built in Kauai it is very likely that sensors that may better detect the unpredictable In this time of grave economic uncertainty due to Aegis Ashore will become operational at PRMF, trajectories of hypersonic missiles. Hypersonic mis- the COVID-19 pandemic, the government must re- making Hawaii a greater target to US adversaries. siles travel at speeds greater than five times the speed direct spending from the police and military to more Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services of sound and are also able to fly at lower altitudes urgent social needs such as health care, education, Committee, claimed in a press release that “HDR- than ballistic missiles and can follow unpredictable and the environment. We must pursue diplomatic H is part of our country’s critical, layered defense. trajectories. strategies for resolving conflicts in the Pacific. As the US continues to confront a range of strategic According to a recent U.S. Government Account- threats in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, it is impera- ability Office report on hypersonic missiles: “Unlike —Lynda Williams is a physicist and science entertainer tive that all Americans are protected by our ballistic ballistic missiles, which can reach similar speeds but who is devoted to nuclear disarmament and the prolif- missile defense system.” have a relatively fixed flight path, hypersonic weap- eration of peace. Lynda lives and teaches in northern However there is no scientific evidence that our ons, once developed, would fly at lower altitudes, California. ballistic missile defense system can protect anyone be highly maneuverable, and may be able to change from nuclear weapons. The HDR-H, like its precur- targets during flight. This will make them extremely Help support our work! sor, the long overdue Long Range Defense Radar difficult to defend against.” Join Global Network. (LRDR) in Alaska, is a midcourse tracking radar In the meantime, the MDA is developing a “lay- ered” approach to missile defense that relies on ex- See page 16! 6 Space Alert! Winter/Spring 2021 Rocket Lab: New Zealand Dragged into US Militarization of Space by Murray Horton been plenty since, for a whole range of clients in- Tel, which he described in a 2013 NASA oral history Rocket Lab (RL) was founded in 2006. Its founder cluding DARPA, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army Space & as the venture capital fund of the Central Intelligence and CEO is Peter Beck, a high-profile New Zealand Missile Defense Command, U.S. Special Operations Agency (CIA). “I was running what was essentially (NZ) entrepreneur who was a finalist for New Zea- Command (a wing of the Department of Defense that a technical venture capital fund whose purpose was lander of the Year 2020. He personally and Rocket undertakes covert missions around the world) and for to make products and services available to the intel- Lab, the company, have enjoyed consistently favour- the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the ligence community.” able treatment from both the NZ media and succes- military agency in charge of spy satellites. Griffin appeared at a 2019 summit focussed on sive governments. directed energy weapons—which include RL was originally touted as a shining lasers, microwaves, and particle beams— example of Kiwi innovation and continues hosted by U.S. consulting giant Booz Allen to be under the Jacinda Ardern govern- Hamilton. He was described in the New ment. But, in fact, it is now simply the NZ York Times as an “unabashed defender of subsidiary of an American company, with American military and political supremacy major ownership by Lockheed Martin, the and is also a proponent of hypersonic world’s biggest weapons manufacturer. missiles.” RL’s clients, whose payloads it launches “We’re about Science, We’re Not about into space from its Mahia Peninsula facility Killing People” Yeah, Right (on the east coast of NZ’s North Island), In a 2008 magazine profile Peter Beck include a whole range of U.S. military, in- ruled out military work when discussing if telligence, and surveillance agencies. Those there were payloads RL wouldn’t carry. “Of payloads are satellites but new generation course … we said right from the beginning ones, much smaller than previous genera- if it’s involved in the military, we don’t want tions of satellites. anything to do with it. The military can be In 2010, RL worked on a project for the quite a tempting cherry because a lot of U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects money gets poured into it, but we’re about Agency (DARPA). The result of this work science, we’re not about killing people”. was demonstrated to U.S. military clients in Beck had a very different reply from 2012. In 2013, it got backing from a Silicon 2008 when asked if he had any qualms Valley billionaire venture capitalist Vinod about sending U.S. spy satellites into Khosla. In 2014, another funding round saw space, given the intelligence they collect Lockheed Martin invest in RL, along with Bessemer War Fighting Capabilities can be used in military operations. “You also have to Ventures, and more money from Khosla. RL is looking forward to getting ever further en- remember that intelligence keeps us safe. Unfortu- In a 2018 NZ media interview, CEO Peter Beck said: meshed in the U.S. military’s war fighting capabilities nately, there’s a lot of bad actors in the world. I am a “Look, we’ve been an American company and proud in 2021. It will be launching a “Gunsmoke-J CubeSat New Zealander, but you also have to understand that of it for many years. The New Zealand element is very technology demonstration mission” for the U.S. Ar- national security is a global thing. It’s not a singular important and very special to us, but we never tried my’s Space & Missile Defense Command in the first country’s responsibility. New Zealand is part of the to hide the fact we’re a U.S. company.” quarter of the year. The U.S. company responsible for Five Eyes... it’s all very well to criticise national secu- RL is now incorporated in the U.S., and its rockets the actual deployment of the satellite from RL’s rocket rity until the very day that you need it”. are made at its Huntington Beach, California factory, says it “will have a huge impact on milestone devel- which is much larger than its recently opened assembly opments in war fighter capabilities on the battlefield —Murray Horton directs the Anti-Bases Campaign in plant in Auckland (NZ’s biggest city). And yet, most of and beyond”. Christchurch, New Zealand and publishes the journal RL’s 200+ staff are in New Zealand, and half of its 180 Proof that RL is simply an American-owned con- called Peace Researcher hires in the year ahead will be in NZ—all high-value tractor for the U.S. military/intelligence empire came jobs. The company did just name its first launch site in in September 2020 with the revelation that: “RL’s new (cont. from P. 1.) the U.S. (NASA’s Wallops Launch Facility in Virginia) Board member headed the CIA’s venture capital firm Musk and Beck says it’s actively scouting for a site in the UK, and is a proponent of deploying high-powered laser alism.’ And supreme arrogance. His ambitions are with one in Asia to possibly follow. weapons in space.” mega-terrestrial, and he seems not to understand Beck says that as RL chases a NZ $3 billion pipe- Michael Griffin, who was until recently an Under- how dangerous his ideas (like launching 10,000 line of satellite launches over the next four years and Secretary of Defense in the Trump Administration, nukes to Mars) really are to those of us still trying ramps up to weekly flights, Mahia Peninsula will re- was welcomed onto the Board in August (2020). to survive on Earth and to anyone who would be main its highest frequency launch site. Our relatively In the 1980s he held a senior role in then-President foolish enough to venture to Mars after such a mad liberal regulatory environment helps, Beck says, but Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative ballistic scheme had taken place. it’s mainly because our airways and shipping lanes are, missile defence programme (Star Wars), and later It is time for the adults in the room to sit the out- by international standards, nearly empty. headed NASA. of-control and spoiled child down and inform him that he does not own the universe. No, Elon, you are RL’s first rocket launch was in 2018 and there have Griffin also once served as the President of In-Q- not going to be the master of Mars. Winter/Spring 2021 Space Alert! 7

Nukes (cont. from Page 9) Russia’s Hypersonic Missile Tested think-tank has weighed up the future by Brian Berletic 20 kilometers, and the interceptor mis- military aggression, occupation, and energy needs of a manned settlement Russian state media reported, in siles do not fly fast enough to catch up. intervention around the globe—is what on Mars and arrived at an interesting early-December, a successful test flight This speed discrepancy means that the U.S. fears the most. conclusion…solar arrays might function of its new hypersonic missile, the Zir- should enough of these missiles make For the U.S. itself—a nation surround- just as well, if not better, than the nuclear con. Flying at Mach 8 (8 times the speed it into service with Russia’s naval forces ed by two vast oceans—the prospect of options.” of sound or around 10,000 kph), the and should the need arise to use them— hypersonic missiles posing a threat to As for the Moon, Discover magazine missile poses a new and credible threat large numbers can be used to over- its actual territory is minimal. It is its il- published a piece, “How to Harvest to the air defense systems of potential whelm air defense systems even if they legally deployed military forces engaged Terawatts of Solar Power on the Moon,” aggressors. are tuned specifically to counter hyper- in likewise illegal military aggression noting how a Japanese corporation, Fired from vertical launch tubes on a sonic weapons like the Zircon missile. around the globe that are most at risk. Shimizu, is “gearing up to develop solar Russian warship, the missile is capable U.S.-based think-tank—RAND Cor- In many ways, Russia’s hypersonic power on the moon.” of striking both targets at sea and on poration—detailed the threat prolifera- missile—the Zircon—is not just a As for nuclear propulsion, its promot- land. This most recent test took place tion poses to U.S. military aggression technological achievement or a newly ers are saying it would get astronauts to over a range of 350 kilometers but around the globe in a lengthy policy acquired and formidable military capa- Mars quicker. Shouted the headline in claims the missile is capable of ranges paper titled, ‘Hypersonic Missile Non- bility—it is also a useful component of Popular Mechanics in November: “The of up to 1,000 kilometers have been proliferation: Hindering the Spread of a much wider diplomatic effort to shift Thermal Nuclear Engine That Could reported. a New Class of Weapons.’ the world from the Western-dominated Get Us to Mars in Just 3 Months.” This range would mean that missiles The paper notes that: unipolar “rules-based international I’ve written many pieces about the fired from the Mediterranean Sea, for “ ...because of the difficulties of defend- order”—one underwritten by Western solar alternative for propulsion in space: example, could hit virtually any target ing against hypersonic missiles, relatively military aggression—and toward multi- solar sails. There was a comprehensive amid the ongoing Syrian conflict, both small hypersonic forces can pose threats polarism where the cost of conflict is article in New Scientist in October within Syria but also in neighboring against major powers’ forward-projected higher than the cost of fair competition about this, “The new age of sail,” it was nations. forces, or even deterrent threats against and cooperation. headlined. The subhead: “We are on the U.S. Navy Aegis missile interceptor the homelands of major powers.” cusp of a new type of space travel that systems require 8-10 seconds of reac- And this “threat” to the “forward- —Brian Berletic is a Bangkok-based geo- can take us to places no rocket could ever tion time to intercept incoming attacks. projected forces” of “major powers”— political researcher and writer, especially visit.” The article began by relating 17th In those 8-10 seconds, the Russian Zir- referring almost exclusively to the U.S. for the online magazine New Eastern Century astronomer Johanne Kepler con missiles will already have traveled and its multiple, ongoing campaigns of Outlook observing comets and seeing “that their tails always pointed away from the sun, no matter which direction they were Letter to the Editor traveling. To Kepler, it meant only one This [Elon Musk plan to nuke Mars] thing: the comet tails were being blown reminds me of one of the scariest author from the sun.” radio interviews I’ve ever heard. There are critical issues here on Earth: A journalist was talking about the in- the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate evitability of a human colony on Mars, crisis, and on and on, calling for and mocking the backward “Earth Firsters.” necessitating strong actions. If we also The vision was a techno-paradise or deem to explore space, it must be done nightmare, depending on your perspec- safely and responsibly, without nuclear tive. Too much radiation to be outdoors power and without a scheme to “Nuke very much, so underground bunkers Ma r s.” would be the norm. Can’t breathe the air as it is, so custom oxygen-mix tanks —Karl Grossman was a co-founder of the would be standard issue. Can’t grow Global Network in 1992. He is an award- food, so hydroponics and especially winning investigative reporter and full pro- GE seeds. Hard for the human body to fessor of journalism at the State University adapt in general to the atmosphere, so of New York/College at Old Westbury. He human bio-genetic engineering would lives on Long Island, New York. be employed to make the bodies more resilient on Mars. It is as crazy as Trumpism, with just as much money to be divorced from real- ity. The arrogance of abandoning this paradise as a throw-away planet alone is insane. But then I am a quaint Earth Firster, as are most humans experienc- ing gravity, breathing, eating food. Keep Space for Peace Week: Art Laffin (Dorothy Day Catholic Worker) holds a sign dur- Thanks for all you do. ing Keep Space for Peace Week last October at the well-decorated White House fence in —Ruby Phillips, Seattle (Duwamish/ Washington. Very few events were held during space week due to virus pandemic. Coast Salish territories) 8 Space Alert! Winter/Spring 2021 UK Spaceports: Supporting the militarization of space by Dr. Dave Webb satellites from UK spaceports and the government has become members in the near future. Last November, Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid Lockheed Martin £23.5 million to identify suitable The Scottish spaceports are promoted by Highlands announced an extra £16.5 billion for UK defence, UK spaceport locations. Scotland is well positioned and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the UK Space creating the biggest increase in military spending geographically for the launch of satellites into orbits Agency (UKSA) and welcomed by the Scottish Min- since the start of the Cold War. It was music to the suitable for communications and earth-observations ister for Trade, Investment and Innovation. There has ears of aerospace corporations as billions more were and rockets are expected to be launched from their been opposition from environmental groups and local allocated to technologies that would “revolutionise by 2022. The Edinburgh based Skyrora Ltd carried residents but planning permission has been granted warfare”. Plans included the establishment of a new out the first successful test launch of its Skylark nano- nonetheless. The spaceport in Sutherland is backed agency dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI), a rocket from the Scottish Highlands in June 2018 and is by HIE, UKSA and the British Aerospace Company National Cyber Force and a UK Space Command keen to become the go-to UK launch company. Orbex (who have already secured contracts for six to “work alongside MOD’s recently formed Space The UK is also focussing on the production of launches of a ‘Prime’ launch vehicle for the site). The Directorate”. The Space Command was said to be miniature satellites through Surrey Satellite Technol- Highland Council received 457 objections to HIE’s needed because the space domain is “critical” to the ogy Limited (SSTL). Elon Musk’s SpaceX company planning application and Danish billionaires Anders UK remaining a “leading 21st Century power”. bought a 10% share in SSTL in 2005 and the Eu- and Anne Holch Povlsen, who own land near the In 2019 the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced ropean Aeronautic Defence and Space Company spaceport, were among those who expressed con- a £30 million military space programme supported (EADS—now Airbus) acquired another 80% in 2008. cerns about its impact on vulnerable protected areas. by a team working closely with the US, to launch a SSTL has since captured 40% of the global small Their company ‘Wildland Ltd’ is seeking a judicial small satellite demonstrator which would beam high- satellite market and received over £4 million from review of the planning approval. Povlsen (who owns resolution video directly into the cockpit of fighter jets. the MoD to develop a small, low-orbit satellite called the £4.5bn ‘Bestseller’ clothing empire), and his wife Miniature satellites are relatively cheap to produce, Carbonite 2, which was launched in 2018 to provide have purchased around 220,000 acres of Scottish launch and place in Low Earth Orbit and are being high-resolution reconnaissance. countryside they seem to want to protect, but they increasingly deployed for commercial and military Space is now big business and seen by the gov- have also invested almost £1.5m in Lockheed Martin’s purposes, government grants totalling nearly £40 mil- ernment as one potential path to recovery from the SSC on Unst—an apparent contradiction that dem- lion have been awarded to enable the launch of small economic havoc caused by Covid-19. Forecasts sug- onstrates a common tendency of the rich—to protect gest it could be worth over $1 trillion by their own backyard while happily making money 2040 and the UK aims to capture 10% from the destruction of other people’s. of the market by 2030. A consortium of Space activities are usually presented to the pub- Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) lic as having significant commercial value and the which bring together local authorities, promise of new jobs, but the military dark side is academic institutions, research groups always present. Space operations are often useful to and businesses are establishing several both commercial and military sectors and UKspace, regional space hubs around the UK to the trade association of the British space industry, ensure that space is a priority for re- works closely with the RAF through the Commercial gional economic growth. Among them Integration Cell (CIC) at the MoD’s Space Operations is ‘AstroAgency’ which operates across Centre (SpOC) in High Wycombe. A similar set up in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Space the US sees the Space Force and the Combined Space Leadership Council. Operations Centre at Vandenberg Air Force Base Lockheed Martin has chosen Unst— working to improve interoperability between mem- one of the Shetland Islands—to develop ber nations of Operation Olympic Defender (OOD). its own Shetland Space Centre (SSC) OOD was established to build international partner- for vertical launch operations. Situated ships to ‘deter adversaries and hostile acts in space’ at a high latitude (61 degrees north), and the UK was the first to join in 2019. The UK is Unst is well placed for launching sat- also the first to gain access to the US Standardized ellites into polar orbits—often used Astrodynamics Algorithm Library (SAAL) which for reconnaissance, weather, or com- contains information to help predict the locations and munications satellites. There are plans trajectories of satellites and objects in orbit. Access for other spaceports in Scotland—on to SAAL enables the streamlining of multinational the A’Mhoine Peninsula in Sutherland military operations across the globe and will also County in the Highlands and on an is- increase the ability of the SpOC to collaborate and land in the Outer Hebrides, along with share data with the US Space Force. two others from which to conduct plane- So, the UK is now well on the way to being directly based horizontal launches—at Prestwick involved in US plans for space domination. and Argyll. All of these spaceports have joined together under the Scottish —Dr. Dave Webb is the Convener of the Global Network’s Space Leadership Council to form the two governing boards and also the Chair of the UK’s Spaceports Alliance and others planned Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. He lives in Leeds, for Cornwall and Wales look likely to England. Winter/Spring 2021 Space Alert! 9

Nukes in space: What will Biden do? by Karl Grossman The use of nuclear in space is being pushed harder than ever. “US Eyes Building Nuclear Power Plants for Moon and Mars,” declared the headline in July of an Associ- ated Press dispatch. “ The White House National Space Council, also in July, issued a strategy for space exploration that includes “nuclear propulsion methods.” A “Presidential Memoranda” was released by The White House in December titled “Strategy for Space Nuclear Power” elaborating on the U.S. desire for nuclear power and nuclear propulsion in space. And, Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Space X, has been touting the detonation of nuclear bombs on Mars to transform it into an “Earth-like planet.” SpaceX is selling T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Nuke Mars.” As Business Insider explains, Musk “believes it will help warm the planet and make it more hospitable for human life.” Space.com says: “The explosions would vaporize a fair chunk of Mars’ ice caps, liberating enough water vapor and carbon dioxide…to warm Global Network members protesting (blind policies) outside the European Space Operation Centre (ESOC) in Darm- up the planet substantially, the idea goes.” stadt, Germany in 2007 during our annual space organizing conference. It has been projected that it would take more than 10,000 nuclear bombs to carry out the Musk plan. rial titled “The Lethal Shuttle.” On its next mission, in ing and equipping forces capable of projecting power The nuclear bomb explosions would render Mars May, Challenger was to have the plutonium aboard. in, from, and to space.” radioactive. The nuclear weapons would be carried I got deeper and deeper into the nukes-in-space With Trump out will there be change in the U.S. to Mars on the fleet of 1,000 Starships that Musk issue—authoring two books, one The Wrong Stuff, government’s push for nukes-in-space? We don’t wants to build—like the one that blew up in a fireball writing many hundreds of newspaper and magazine know yet. The cover of a recent edition of the trade in December. articles, doing three TV documentaries, speaking publication Space News was headlined: “JOE BIDEN’S “Fortunately,” reported Lester Holt on the NBC widely on the issue and helping to organize the Global TURN, WHAT’S IN STORE FOR NASA & SPACE Nightly News, “no one was aboard.” But what if nuclear Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. FORCE?” materials had been aboard? What if one or more of I learned quickly about the connection between The answer remains to be seen. Biden is an advo- those hydrogen bombs were aboard? What if a nuclear NASA’s use of nuclear power in space and the weap- cate of “advanced” nuclear power. A large segment of reactor which was supposed to be delivered to the onization of space. The Reagan “Star Wars” scheme of fellow Democrats in the House and Senate voted in Moon or Mars was aboard? the 1980s was predicated on orbiting battle platforms 2019 for formation of a U.S. Space Force. The nuclear space issue is one I got into 36 years with nuclear reactors or “super” plutonium systems The Space News article quoted a statement from a ago when I learned—from reading a U.S. Department on them providing the power for hypervelocity guns, “Washington aerospace and defense-consulting firm of Energy newsletter—about two space shuttles, one particle beams and laser weapons. As declared James Velos” that “Biden has expressed no plans for struc- the Challenger, which were to be launched the fol- Abramson, head of “Star Wars,” formally called the tural changes to U.S. space programs…The Demo- lowing year with plutonium aboard. The plutonium Strategic Defense Initiative, “without reactors in orbit cratic Party national platform supports continuity the shuttles were to carry aloft in 1986 was to be used [there is] going to be a long, long light [extension] cord within NASA and the Space Force…The outlook as fuel in radioisotope thermoelectric generators— that goes down to the surface of the Earth” to power suggests Biden will not undo” the establishment of a RTGs—to provide a small amount of electricity to space weapons. U.S. Space Force. power instruments on the space probes. They were Will the new U.S. Space Force return to nuclear- Importantly, the same pressure from weapons to be released from the shuttles once they achieved powered space weapons systems? manufacturers and the nuclear industry that has been orbit. I used the U.S. Freedom of Information Act to Trump’s December “Presidential Memoranda”— applied in previous U.S. administrations will be ap- ask what would be the consequences of an accident ”Strategy for Space Nuclear Power”—has a section plied to Biden’s. on launch, in the lower or upper atmosphere—and on “National Security Guidelines.” It asserts: “The Thus, critical to change U.S. policy is grassroots what about the dispersal of deadly plutonium. For United States seeks a secure, stable, and accessible action. The Global Network Against Weapons & 10 months there was a stonewall of challenges to my space domain, which has become a warfighting do- Nuclear Power in Space is now more important than FOIA request by DOE and NASA. Finally, I got the main….It is imperative that the United States adopt… ever! information, heavily redacted, with the claim that the policies, strategies, doctrines and capability to…if As for power on would-be settlements on Mars and likelihood of a shuttle accident releasing plutonium necessary defeat aggression and protect U.S. interests the Moon, said the headline in Universe Today in De- was “small.” Then, on January 28, 1986 the Chal- in space...The United States Space Force will pursue cember, “Solar Power is Best for Mars Colonies.” The lenger blew up. these objectives as the primary branch of the United extensive article states how “a NASA-sponsored MIT States Armed Forces responsible for organizing, train- The Nation magazine asked me to write an edito- (See Nukes P 7. ) 10 Space Alert! Winter/Spring 2021

Odds & Ends Raytheon man at DOD Space Force troops to be called month, with “full commercial global for years to come. If approved, the deal Glenn Greenwald writes Joe Biden’s ‘guardians’ services” by 2021, well before OneWeb’s would mean the absorption of the last pick to be the next Secretary of Defense Service members in the year-old Space eventual total of 5,260 satellites. How- independent American weapons-grade is recently retired Gen. Lloyd J. Austin, Force will be called ‘guardians,’ the ever, a 2020 Bloomberg report stated rocket maker. All U.S. rockets would be III. The choice of Gen. Austin further White House announced in late 2020. that OneWeb may file for bankruptcy produced by Northrop, which bought erodes the once-sacred American norm Former V-P Pence stated, “On behalf of “as it grapples with high costs and stiff Orbital ATK in 2018, and Lockheed, that military officials will be barred from your commander in chief, let me urge competition.” In Canada, officials from the world’s largest defense contractor. exercising control over the Pentagon each and every one of you guardians to Telesat affirm that their low-Earth-orbit It would also turn Lockheed into a key until substantial time has passed after keep pushing, keep pushing, keep push- satellite deployments “could ultimately supplier of Raytheon Technologies, its leaving active-duty military service. ing the vision and the mission of the scale to 512 spacecraft.” China and Russia major rival in the missiles sector. Biden’s choice to lead the Pentagon re- U.S. Space Force, which is to ensure that likewise have plans for multiple launches. Kerry to lead battle for Arctic cently resigned as a member of the Board America remains as dominant in space ... U.S. bases drones in Romania John Kerry has been nominated to of Directors of Raytheon Technologies, as we are on land and sea and air.” Stars & Stripes reports: The Air Force be the Special Presidential Envoy for the world’s third-largest military con- Musk’s $$$ machines has moved 90 airmen and an unspecified Climate by Joe Biden. Kerry’s role as tractor. That means that upon Austin’s number of MQ-9 Reaper drones to Cam- Presidential Envoy will elevate climate confirmation, Raytheon will have a very In 2020 Elon Musk’s company launched more than 16 batches of mini- pia Turzii Air Base in Romania, boosting change to the ‘national security threat’ good friend in charge of the bloated $750 military capabilities near the Russian bor- that the American military and intel- billion annual Pentagon budget. satellites toward his goal of flooding Earth orbit with tens of thousands of der. The units are subordinate to the 31st ligence community have identified it as. War $$$ Blues satellites that would beam 5G and Wi- Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base in Italy. Kerry claims three urgent issues that the The Pentagon’s once limitless ability Fi signals to ground stations around The Reapers will boost surveillance and National Security Council (NSC) should to raid the national treasure chest for Earth. SpaceX plans to accelerate its reconnaissance capabilities in the Black Sea take up immediately after the new Biden its endless appetite for more wars and satellite launches to an average of 120 region. Last year, USAF sent MQ-9 Reaper Administration begins are: (1) navy base weapons is hitting the wall—especially per month, marking SpaceX’s transfor- drones based in Poland on a temporary resilience due to rising sea-levels, (2) during the virus pandemic. As working mation from a rocket company to an rotation to the Turzii site. Air Force fighter reorienting foreign aid and military as- class and poor people are set adrift by Internet service provider after being jets also have made rotations to Campia sistance to support climate security, and Washington and Wall Street the cries for awarded $886 million from the Federal Turzii. The Pentagon has spent millions (3) preparing for the security challenge bailout for the people are growing like a Communications Commission (FCC) of dollars in recent years to upgrade the of a melting Arctic. Kerry urges that the massive chorus line. Evidence of current for the endeavor. To provide service, Cold War-era base in central Romania. The NSC coordinate a diplomatic offensive Pentagon budget problems center around SpaceX states that it requires an infra- Pentagon budget for 2021 includes $130.5 with Arctic nations to discuss the secu- a decision to unveil a 30-year shipbuild- structure of one million on-the-ground million to renovate Campia Turzii, in what rity implications of climate change in ing blueprint calling for one less aircraft antennas to connect its satellites with would be Washington’s biggest overseas the region to show that the U.S. ‘means carrier but dozens more warships than the ground users. In March 2020, the military construction project under the business’ in the Arctic. In partnership, previous fleet plans — a course critics FCC approved SpaceX’s ground antenna European Deterrence Initiative. the U.S. military should actively par- say is unaffordable and would lead to application. On 7/31/2020, SpaceX ticipate in Arctic joint exercises, and NASA fears congested orbits publicize U.S. military deployments to massive cuts to the Air Force and Army. modified its original filing and has asked ARS Technica reports: NASA has for- the region, with particular focus on the Plans call for a framework that prioritizes the FCC to increase this number to five mally commented on a request by a U.S. Russian border—perhaps by returning not only shipbuilding, but also “tactical million. These low-orbit satellites not company to build a mega-constellation the U.S. Marine deployment to Norway. aircraft modernization, hypersonics, mis- only already contaminate our night skies of satellites at an altitude of 720km sile defense, and space capabilities.” The and interfere with astronomy but also above the Earth’s surface, citing concerns New Mexico space port problem is that the U.S. treasury, already promise to flood Earth with powerful, about collisions. This appears to be the Albuquerque Journal reports: Virgin in massive debt, just can’t afford it all focused electromagnetic beams that emit first time that NASA has publicly com- Galactic is the anchor tenant for Space- anymore. Unless, of course, they just keep radiofrequency (RF) and microwave mented on such an application for mar- port America, a facility built for com- printing $$$$$ or completely get rid of radiation proven to adversely affect the ket access before the Federal Commu- mercial space flight and other aerospace Social Security, Medicare and what other health of humans, animals and plants. nications Commission. “NASA submits operations in southern New Mexico, little ‘social safety net’ is left. A mini-sat “gold rush” this letter during the public comment approximately 50 miles north of Las Enemies needed SpaceX may be the dominant player, but period for the purpose of providing a Cruces. The company’s most recent Jonathan Cook writes: “There is a it is far from the only U.S. company with better understanding of NASA’s con- target date for flying its first commercial reason that, as we rush lemming-like to- plans to slather “every inch of the world” cerns with respect to its assets on-orbit, passengers on suborbital flights, at a wards the cliff-edge, urged on by a capi- with emissions from low-orbit 5G satel- to further mitigate the risks of collisions current ticket price of about $250,000, talism that cannot operate at the level of lites. Amazon, angling for a potential four for the mutual benefit of all involved,” is in the first quarter of 2021. NASA an- sustainability or even of sanity, the push billion new customers, plans to launch a wrote Samantha Fonder, an engineer for nounced it had awarded Virgin Galactic towards intensified war grows. Wars are total of 3,236 satellites and promises to the space agency. At issue are plans put a flight services contract, bringing it on the lifeblood of the corporate empire start delivering Internet services. Face- forth by AST & Science, which intends board, along with five other providers, headquartered in the U.S.. Whether book is also planning for thousands of to build a constellation of more than to fly technologies for NASA’s Flight public or covert, wars provide an op- satellites. Finally, the Google subsidiary 240 large satellites, essentially deploy- Opportunities program. On its website, portunity to remake poorly defended, Loon has begun targeting “unserved ing “cell towers” in space to provide 4G the federal space agency says the pro- resistant societies—such as Iraq, Libya, and underserved communities” in Latin and possibly 5G broadband connection gram “facilitates rapid demonstration Yemen and Syria—in ways that allow for America for service provided by its net- directly to cell phones on Earth. The of promising technologies for space ex- resources to be seized, markets to be work of stratospheric balloons traveling company, based in Midland, Texas, calls ploration, discovery, and the expansion expanded and the reach of the corporate on “the edge of space.” One of the major its constellation “SpaceMobile” and has of space commerce through suborbital elite to be extended. War is the ultimate non-U.S. players taking part in the “satel- raised an estimated $120 million. testing with industry flight providers.” growth industry, limited only by our lite Internet gold rush” is the UK-based More weapons industry consolidation China to the Moon ability to be persuaded of new enemies company OneWeb, which launched an The Biden administration’s approval— In early December China launched a and new threats.” initial batch of six 5G satellites in 2019, or disapproval—of Lockheed Martin’s spacecraft to collect and return samples followed by another 34 satellites in 2020. planned $4.4 billion acquisition of rocket from the Moon, the country’s first at- OneWeb announced its intention to keep engine maker Aerojet Rocketdyne could tempt to retrieve samples from an extra- up launches of 30 to 36 satellites every shape defense industry consolidation terrestrial body. A rocket, carrying the Winter/Spring 2021 Space Alert! 11

Odds & Ends

Chang’e-5 spacecraft, blasted off from Tromso says no nuke subs launched at least one satellite, with the Talking about how the new U.S. adminis- the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on The Tromsø municipal council in total number of satellites launched by tration and the Europeans can cooperate the coast of the southern island province northern Norway has decided to say NO African countries rising to over 90. In more closely in the fight against climate of Hainan. Chang’e-5 is one of the most to a port for U.S. nuclear-powered sub- 2017, the African Union passed legis- change. Arms build-up and the force of complicated and challenging missions in marines. This prompted the Norwegian lation to establish the African Space arms do not solve problems.” China’s aerospace history, as well as the Minister of Defense to react: “Tromsø Agency and recently approved Egypt world’s first Moon-sample mission for as host country for the new agency’s Forthcoming report of interest cannot opt out of NATO”, he said in A report in the making for several more than 40 years. headquarters. October. The federal government is years is finally nearing completion and U.S. aggresses Russian coastlines pushing hard to override local politicians NATO space center at Ramstein is expected to be released this Spring, ‘America is back’ hailed Joe Biden on and public opinion. Tromsø is the third NATO is expanding its military alli- says GN Advisory Board member Twitter in November. The world tried largest urban municipality in Norway, ance into space, and announced con- Subrata Ghoshroy, who has led an in- to figure out exactly what that meant. and the seventh in population. Tromsø struction of a “space center” at Ramstein ternational group of scientists, former Biden’s announcement curiously coin- is the regional civil administration center AFB, Germany. The new facility will be government officials, academics, and cided with another incident on the very for the northern area in Norway. Tromso used as a coordination point for surveil- diplomats in this effort. The report was same day—the appearance of U.S. naval is very close to the Russian border along lance in space, the German newspaper commissioned by the Abolition 2000, destroyer USS John S. McCain (built in the Barents Sea. Suddeutsche Zeitung reported. “This which provided a small amount of seed Bath, Maine) within Russian waters India to launch from Alaska will be a focal point for ensuring space funding to initiate the work. The report off the coast of Vladivostok. The move India’s private space industry is get- support to NATO operations, sharing is entitled Deployment of Missile De- seems to be a display of sheer bravado ting government support as privatization information and coordinating our activi- fense Systems and Weapons in Space: on the part of the Americans, who re- of space activities in the country was ties,” a NATO official said. About half Serious consequences for global peace leased a statement later on asserting that opened up for the first time. A Chennai- of the 2,000 satellites currently in earth and security. A Report of the Interna- they had the right to challenge ‘Russia’s based Aerospace startup Agnikul Cosmos, orbit are owned by NATO members. tional Working Group Moving Beyond excessive maritime claims’. Moscow which markets itself as specialists in rocket The action follows a 2019 NATO deci- Missile Defense and Space Weapons responded by saying the ship had been technology, has inked a key partnership sion declaring space as a separate area (MBMDS). The report’s contributors ‘warned of the unacceptability of its ac- with the Alaska Aerospace Corporation of operations. include GN Convener Dave Webb, tions’ and (in short) it was lucky it had to test-launch the ‘Agnibaan’ rocket. The INES Co-Chair Juergen Scheffran, not been rammed by the Udaloy-class INL & space nukes INES-Treasurer Claus Montonen, and agreement will allow the Indian rocket- The U.S. wants to build nuclear power destroyer which had been tailing it. This Vladimir Kozin, among others. Among maker to test-launch its ‘Agnibaan’ rocket plants that will work on the Moon and provocative move was followed on the its recommendations are beginning of from Alaska Aerospace’s Pacific Spaceport Mars, and has put out a request for ideas next day by U.S. missiles being launched an urgent consideration of the PAROS Complex on Kodiak Island. The first such from the private sector on how to do into the Black Sea from Romania. The draft treaty and demanding a global ban test is expected to be launched in 2022. that. The U.S. Department of Energy rocket-launch tests reportedly involved on missile defense systems. The report Local Kodiak residents are not at all happy put out the formal request to build what more than 130 troops and 30 pieces of will be published online with a printed about this expanding international role for it calls a fission surface power system military hardware. It doesn’t take much Executive Summary that will be dis- the spaceport that was forced upon them that could allow humans to live for long imagination to work out what they could tributed by the International Network years ago. Most recently, Astra Space (re- periods in harsh space environments. be used for: the range of these missiles is of Engineers and Scientists (INES) for ceives funding from NASA, DARPA, Air The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), 300km, they could reach Crimea. Global Responsibility, Berlin, Germany. Force) attempted its third rocket launch a nuclear research facility in eastern Ida- Space Force already wants more $$ from Kodiak Island and the rocket fell ho, the Energy Department and NASA Musk company working for Space back down after launch and exploded on The Pentagon’s newest branch, the will evaluate the ideas for developing Force U.S. Space Force (USSF), has taken over ‘public land’ where the launch complex the reactor. is located. The state of Alaska funded the The Space Development Agency (now the Pentagon’s space-based assets and integrated with the Space Force) selected has big plans for expanding its surveil- Alaska Aerospace Corporation and the Disarmament Instead of Rearma- Kodiak launch site until several years ago Elon Musk’s company SpaceX as the lance and offensive capabilities both on ment launch provider for its first 28 satellites, when the state could not afford to do so With more than 100 events and several the ground and in space. Lt. Gen. John awarding the company a $150 million any longer. Besides the state funding the thousand participants, the day of action Thompson, commander of the USSF’s contract for two launches. SpaceX is Alaska Aerospace Corporation has been and protest organized by the German Space and Missile Systems Center, stated expected to conduct the first launch in receiving U.S. Government funding since Abrüsten statt Aufrüsten campaign at a recent forum that the service would September 2022. All satellites need to be the beginning and receives $5-6 million (Disarm instead of Rearm) in December continue to seek larger budgets in the on orbit by March 31, 2023. The satellites a year for the sustainment of the Kodiak was a great success, despite the difficult coming years, confident that lawmak- will form the layers of the SDA’s National Spaceport Complex. The Navy is currently conditions created by Covid-19. Peace ers and Pentagon planners will support Defense Space Architecture, a constella- in the process of doing an Environmental initiatives all over the country were a rapid expansion of space capabilities. tion in low Earth orbit that will be able to Assessment for its Hypersonics missile joined by trade unions and—in a new ‘push targeting data to war fighters, track First overseas Space Force base tests from Kodiak. Local residents will showing of solidarity— environmental hypersonic weapons, connect sensors and The sixth and newest branch of the be kept in the dark until the last minute organizations who took to the streets for shooters over the orbit network’. While U.S. Armed Forces now has an overseas about the testing that will take place by the peace and disarmament. In a speech in the NDSA will eventually include hun- base. A squadron of 20 soldiers has been military and others. Berlin, the Chair of the German Trade dreds of satellites, the agency isn’t putting sent to an air base in Al Udeid, which Union Confederation (DGB) Reiner Africa space them all up at once—the agency plans to is in a desert in Qatar, where the first Hoffmann stated, “…we have ample Africa’s space programs account for add a growing number of satellites every unit abroad of the Space Force will be reason to demand a change of course. deployed. The number of troops in the a very small part of the world’s space two years. activity. But the continent’s profile in The NATO goal that all allies should region is provisional and is expected spend two per cent of their GDP on National Satellite Center in Jeju, to increase. The missions to be carried space is growing. Since 1999, 11 African countries (Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethi- rearmament is still not off the table. For South Korea out will revolve around monitoring the Germany, this would mean that its de- In Jeju, the area for the building of the Persian Gulf and nearby nations using opia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Sudan) have fence budget would increase to around ‘National Satellite Integrated Operation space technology. Washington chose to 80 billion euros…What nonsense! Much Center’ is secretly under consideration. install a base in the Gulf region at a time successfully launched 38 unilateral and three multilateral satellites into orbit. more urgent is the question of how we According to a local media, ‘Jeju Today,’ of tensions between the U.S. and Iran, can talk to each other after the return of it was last November that the plan was which have been progressively rising. ‘Space in Africa’ estimates that by 2024, at least 19 African countries will have the U.S. to the Paris climate agreement. (See Odds & Ends P 12. ) 12 Space Alert! Winter/Spring 2021

GOODBYE MOON Fly me to the Moon, but don’t put reactors there by Linda Pentz Gunter Not content to desecrate our terres- first became known to the Island trial landscape with hundreds of thou- Council when the Jeju Island govern- sands of tons of nuclear waste—much ment ‘submitted a draft of the manage- piled up with nowhere to go, the rest ment plan on the public ownership assets for the fiscal year of 2021’ which released to contaminate our air, water, included the government’s plan to sell and soil— humankind now plans to do ‘the Island-owned lands’. According the same to the Moon. And eventually to the draft, it was 2018 when the rel- to Mars. evant departments of Korean central While our species’ insatiable scientific governments made the decision to curiosity has undoubtedly led to some build the center. The mountain area of Deokcheon-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju beneficial inventions, it has also drawn was considered for the center. The us inexorably towards our own down- size of area is 152 times bigger than a fall. Our zeal to create the atomic bomb soccer field. The project would install ignored logic, ethics, consequences, and on the Moon or Mars to fulfill the nec- exorbitant nuclear expense: we cannot the center building and three anten- nas by 2022 with the plan of ‘further the fundamentals of human rights. essary functions for human inhabitants. let China and Russia take over; the U.S. The bomb brought us so-called civil expansion later.’ A Jeju government Needless to say, so far, there is no must retain—or regain—pre-eminence officer said that the Island govern- nuclear power reactors, the ugly and certified design, no test reactor, no in the nuclear sector and in space. ment made only “a rough briefing to irresponsible spawn of a weapon that actual reactor, and no fool-proof way It’s not being cute to call this lunacy. village mayors, development com- leaves us perched perpetually on the to send such a reactor to the Moon. With the ever-expanding crises on mittee, and the local councilman.” He precipice of extinction. But there is (Rockets have an unfortunate habit of Earth, caused by the ravaging effects even said that the issue “should have not been made public.” The building nothing “civil” about nuclear power. sometimes blowing up on—or shortly of climate change and the current pan- At the dawn of the nuclear energy age, of the center was also decided by the after—launch.) Nevertheless, the year demic, spending exorbitant sums to stick ‘16th ROK National Space Commit- not a thought was given to the legacy 2026 is the ambitious target date for all reactors on the Moon or Mars is more tee’ in April 2019. The Committee of deadly radioactive waste it would systems go. In keeping with the theme, than madness; it is morally irrespon- includes the Vice-Minister of National produce. That can was kicked down “pie in the sky” springs to mind. sible. It abandons most of us on Earth Defense and deputy head of National Intelligence Service. It looks like the the road. Now we are far down that While no reactor design has been to our fate, while, just maybe, possibly, road and no solution in sight, while we center is linked to the development identified, it will most likely need to use someday, a handful of people will head of the reconnaissance satellite which ignore the one obvious one: stop mak- highly enriched uranium (HEU), which off to the Red Planet. Never to return. the current government aims for by ing more of it! puts the reactor firmly in violation of Yet undeterred by immorality and 2023. The center and military recon- Now comes the news that the U.S. non-proliferation standards. As Dr. Ed- expense, and apparently without the naissance satellite must surely connect wants to put nuclear power reactors win Lyman of the Union of Concerned slightest concern for the radioactive dirt with current efforts to increase ‘mis- on the Moon. sile defense’ deployments in South Scientists told PBS Newshour, “This pile these reactors will produce, NASA Korea. In the news stories that followed the may drive or start an international space and the Department of Energy are ea- announcement, replete with the usual race to build and deploy new types gerly soliciting proposals. excitement about space exploration of reactors requiring highly enriched And what will these lunar reactors (never mind the cost and bellicose uranium.” do? They will enable “capability for a implications), there was not one single Given the utility of HEU for nuclear sustained lunar presence, particularly mention of the radioactive waste these weapons use and the probes currently for surviving a lunar night,” NASA’s reactors would produce. being sent to the Moon and Mars by Anthony Calomino told Space News. The problem, like the waste itself, will “unfriendly” countries such as China “The surface of the moon provides us an simply be kicked into some invisible and the United Arab Emirates, it does opportunity to fabricate, test and flight crater on the dark side of the Moon. not take much of an imagination to en- qualify a space fission system,” he said. NASA, the U.S. Department of Ener- visage the temptation for theft by force. The Moon is seen as our Launchpad gy, and assorted nuclear labs are push- Will the U.S. deploy guards around its to Mars. Now, it seems, it will also be- GN YouTube channel ing the small modular reactor (SMR) lunar reactors? Will we see terrorism come our latest nuclear dustbin. If there Each month for the past year, GN for nuclear projects on the Moon and on the Moon, even war? is a meltdown, or a cascade of accidents board member Will Griffin (Iraq & Mars. Desperate to stay relevant and Afghanistan war veteran) has been What is this really all about? Profit? among the cluster of small identical making a video depicting a different to continue gobbling up taxpayer dol- Prestige? Proliferation? The Idaho reactors there, all of which could suffer lars; this is music to the failing nuclear aspect of the new U.S. effort to ‘con- National Laboratory, which is eager to the same failure at the same time, it will trol and dominate’ space. He’s putting industry’s ears. Financially disastrous develop the lunar SMR prototype, sees become our next nuclear wasteland. them on our new YouTube channel, and technically unresolved on Earth, this as an opportunity to emphasize I am happy to say “goodnight moon.” which can be found on YouTube at the SMR, say these “experts,” is ideally “the United States’ global leadership But I don’t want to say “goodbye.” ‘GNspace4peace’. If you click on the ‘Subscribe’ button, you’ll get a notice suited to the needs of humans living for in nuclear innovation,” the lab’s John extensive periods in space. each time a new video is posted on Wagner told Newshour. —Linda Pentz Gunter is the editor and our channel. You can help by sharing Since each of these mini-reactors will This echoes the mantra parroted by curator of BeyondNuclearInternational.org the links to these videos so that more likely have an uninterrupted output of 10 almost every federal institution and cor- and the international specialist at Beyond people can watch and learn. Thanks. kilowatts, it will take multiple reactors poration seeking to justify some new and Nuclear. Winter/Spring 2021 Space Alert! 13 ASIA-PACIFIC ‘MISSILE DEFENSE’: Focused on Korea & China by Choi, Sung-hee steals the name and flag of UN. Its Commander is most military bases in the heart of China and delivers For the United States, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Com- the same officer who commands all U.S. Forces in information to the Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii mand is the Command in charge of this region. Korea) headquartered in Pyeongtaek in South Korea. and Strategic Command [at Offutt AFB] in Nebraska. Around 50% of the world population lives here. It (* The content on the UN Command is much owed It is clear that THAAD in Soseong-ri, Seongju is more is the critical area for the U.S. imperial strategy to to Lee Si-woo) than a mere weapon. It is leverage to dismantle the dominate the world through intensifying military However, it is meaningless to distinguish between balance of power in the region. The matter is more tension. The U.S. claims that North Korea and Iran U.S. bases and non-U.S. bases. Look at the location of serious as the Indo-Pacific Command is reorganizing are why the Pentagon needs ‘missile defense’ (MD). the Jeju navy base, a South Korea base built-in 2016, MD system under the term called Joint Operational However, the ultimate aim of the U.S. is to contain a strategic spot for the U.S. against China. [U.S. Navy Emergent Need (JEON) for which THAAD radar China and Russia. This would be done by U.S.-led warships regularly port in Jeju.] The planned contro- in Soseong-ri is under product upgrade for the in- alliance/partnerships. In our area, the U.S. plans for versial Jeju second airport would be an air force base. tegration with other lower and higher tiers of MD a quad alliance (United States, Australia, India, and Look at the Islands of Amamio, Miyako, Ishigaki, and systems in the region. It also means South Korea’s Japan) and quad-plus by a partnership with countries Yonaguni in the Okinawa archipelago where Japanese military subordination to the U.S. and Japan will be that could work as the Asian version of NATO. Self-Defense Force radar/missile bases are being built even more serious. Above all, it means the THAAD The role of the U.S. and Japan in forming alliances against China. The Islands and their seas in the region in Soseong-ri is the center of Northeast Asia MD, in the area should not be ignored. It is important to suffer from an arms race. Guam, Hawaii, Marshall the center of U.S.-Japan-South Korea military alli- understand how the U.S.-South Korea-Japan alliance Islands suffer, forced either to be U.S. MD regional ance, thus a tentative center of nuclear war between is centered with MD systems. First, there are U.S. headquarters, outposts or test sites. powerful countries. bases in the region. U.S. Forces Korea army, navy, Removal of THAAD South Korean and Japanese Space Force and air force headquarters are located in Pyeongtaek, Mr. Koh Young-Dae, Solidarity for Peace and Reuni- Let me also talk about South Korea’s vision for Kunsan, and Busan, South Korea. The U.S. bases in fication of Korea, emphasizes that MD is the center of space force. It was in 2008 when the South Korean those spots form an MD belt along with [the new] U.S.-led alliance, thus the center of U.S. global domi- air force first selected military personnel as their first Jeju navy base. nation. He also emphasizes that withdrawal of the stage to realize the leap for space force. Its ‘satellite And in Japan, beside two main radar bases in U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) monitoring and control squadron” became opera- Shariki and Kyogamisaki, Yokota, Zama, Yokohama, ground-based MD system forcefully built-in Soseong- tional in October. The air force plans to have the ca- Sasebo, on the mainland of Japan and Kadena and ri, Seongju, South Korea in 2017 is the key for bringing pabilities of monitoring & reconnaissance against the Futenma, and White Beach in Okinawa are where peace to Northeast Asia. Why? It is because of its AN- so-called ‘full spectrum threat’ by 2030. In early 2020 main U.S. bases of Japan are located. The seven TPY 2 radar close to China and Russia, not to mention the army and navy also respectively organized either U.S. Forces Japan bases are rear bases of the UN North Korea. The THAAD system is “useless” in the the ‘missile space policy team,’ or ‘combat system/ Command* (a U.S.-led fake UN organization which small Korean peninsula. However, its radar can see space policy development’ department. The Ministry of National Defense installed a ‘missile space depart- ment,’ in 2018, while the first Global Hawk [drone] was introduced in 2019. South Korea’s first military satellite was launched mid-2020. And how about Japan? Japan established its own space force squadron, in May, 2020, reasoning that it is for protecting the country’s satellites. The Faces of Resistance Despite all these grim pictures, it is always im- portant to remember that there are many people on the planet who are resisting such an arms race and militarization of our lands, seas, and skies. This year, people in Japan succeeded in rejecting their govern- ment plan to build Aegis Ashore MD system. How we can stop the MD? How we can stop the militarization of space? One of the things you can do is to sign the petition ‘End the Korean War’ (endthekoreanwar. net). The military and arms companies are fed by military tension, conflict, and war. They will find any excuse to have MD systems in this era of climate crisis and pandemic. Peace in Space is for Peace on Earth. Let’s keep space for peace.

—Choi, Sung-Hee presented this during a GN Keep Space for Peace Week webinar on Oct. 8, 2020. She serves on the GN’s advisory board and lives on Jeju Island, South Korea 14 Space Alert! Winter/Spring 2021 Multi-Domain Integration: The new Full-Spectrum Dominance by Will Griffin Full-Spectrum Dominance is defined by the Pentagon as the “the cumulative effect of dominance in the air, land, maritime, and space domains; electro- magnetic spectrum; and information environment (which includes cyber- space) that permits the conduct of joint operations without effective opposition or prohibitive interference.” Veteran activists in the peace/anti- war/anti-imperialist movements recall the wide use of this term over the past few decades. Today, the Pentagon has ity over the past decade as military services, netic warfare and “combating” weapons eral who implemented a scorched-earth adopted a new term which goes even those of the US, in particular, have sought of mass destruction. For over a decade bombing campaign in the Pacific theater further and highlights the complexity to codify their approach to warfare beyond now, the home of STRATCOM—Offutt during World War 2. Just to highlight of the technological advances within the the traditional confines of land, sea, and Air Force Base—has been considered the some of Lemay’s thinking, here are some military-industrial-congressional com- air. The term is new enough that, while most dangerous place on earth. of his quotes from various writings and plex: Multi-Domain Integration (MDI). many in military circles within the US and “In 2002 this command did not ex- interviews: “I think global integrated operations is NATO have heard and even used the term perience a sea-state change but a tsu- • “If we’d lost the war, we’d all have really the next big ‘advantage space’ for themselves, the term is yet undefined by nami in the way it was organized and been prosecuted as war criminals.” the Department of Defense,” says Maj. most nations and by NATO… In the short- the missions that they were given to • “There are no innocent civilians, so it Gen. John Nichols, the current Deputy term, it is imperative that the 29 members perform,” said a former STRATCOM doesn’t bother me so much to be killing Director of the Global Operations Cen- of NATO arrive at a clear definition so they Commander, Kevin Chilton. Another innocent bystanders.” ter (GOC), which is operated by the can move forward together.” former STRATCOM Commander • “We should bomb Vietnam back to Strategic Command (STRATCOM)— This institution simply wants to domi- James Cartwright said: “When we got the stone age.” the most transnational combatant com- nate the entire world. At the very least, to 2002 we brought space. In 2003 we •“Every soldier thinks something of mand of the Pentagon. It operates out of MDI requires the global integration of all had a fire sale and picked up missile de- the moral aspects of what he is doing. Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, home combatant commands of the Pentagon. fense, ISR and global strike. In 2005 we But all war is immoral and if you let that of STRATCOM. On the STRATCOM Combatant commands are a way for the picked up combating weapons of mass bother you, you’re not a good soldier.” website it says, “The GOC is the nerve Pentagon to carve the world up into a pie destruction. I’m hoping in 2008 we’ll get So the fact that STRATCOM dedi- center for USSTRATCOM.” for themselves, assigning specific struc- the world hunger piece.” cated and renamed one of their build- “The way we integrate is the way we tures to particular spheres of the globe. Outside of Nuclear Deterrence, ‘Stra- ings after this psycho war criminal is a fight… and the nations that figure out how The War Department (DoD) main- tegic Deterrence’ has been the doctrine sign of how they think about the world. to integrate global operations across all tains 11 combatant commands. Each of the US military for decades. In a domains will have a significant advantage command has a “geographic or func- nutshell, it’s the strategy to develop so —Will Griffin is a veteran of the Iraq and on the battlefield,” said the current STRAT- tional mission that provides command much superiority that your adversary Afghanistan wars, director of The Peace COM Commander, Admiral Charles A. and control of military forces”, claims will think twice about attacking you as Report, and board member of the Global Richard. the DoD. With MDI, the goal would be they know it will be reciprocated with an Network. He produces a short monthly So, what exactly is MDI? Multi- to integrate all of these commands, and equal or greater attack. In the same way space issues video for the GN. See the Domain Integration, or sometimes re- over the five operational domains; to the strategy of Mutual Assured Destruc- videos on YouTube at GNspace4peace ferred to as Multi-Domain Operations, dominate everything, everywhere and tion guided the nuclear arms race during Will lives in Philadelphia, PA. is the Pentagon strategy to connect and all the time. The command that is leading the Cold War, the same policy applies to dominate the five operational domains the charge is STRATCOM. all other domains: cyber, outer space, in a synchronous, fluid and smooth STRATCOM experienced a serious electromagnetic warfare, etc. STRAT- operational control: maritime, land, change after the 9/11 attacks. Prior to COM wants to be the central force in Check Spam Filter air, space, and cyber. It’s Full-Spectrum 2001, the command only maintained nu- the global integration of all combatant We have found that many of the Dominance with a new flair. clear weapons and prepared for nuclear commands over all operational domains emails sent to our members and friends Officially, there is no definition for warfare—as if this wasn’t bad enough. to hold all of the power, militarily and are ending up in their spam filters. MDI or MDO. The US Army, the US As the years passed by, STRATCOM operationally, under the banner of Stra- Please be sure to regularly check your Air Force and Joint Operations under was assigned new ‘missions’, more than tegic Deterrence. spam filters for our emails and oth- NATO have published differing descrip- the direction of nuclear holocaust. It ad- It should be noted that in 2019, ers who are trying to share important news. You can keep up with the work tions. The Joint Air Power Competence opted new roles such as missile defense, STRATCOM dedicated one of their of the GN at our website www.space- Centre describes this issue clearly: global command and control, intelli- buildings, the Command and Control 4peace.org, and Bruce Gagnon’s blog “The use of the term Multi-Domain Op- gence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Facility, to the infamous war criminal called Organizing Notes erations (MDO) has increased in popular- global strike, cyberwarfare, electromag- Curtis E. Lemay, a US Air Force gen- Winter/Spring 2021 Space Alert! 15 Launch impacts: Ozone depletion & crowded orbits As the number of space launches in more ozone destruction than was increase, rocket engine emissions grow ever realized by CFCs.” in proportion. Rocket engine exhaust Crowded orbits contains gases and particles that can In 1978, NASA scientist Donald Kes- affect Earth’s climate and ozone layer. sler warned of a potential catastrophic, These emissions historically have been cascading chain reaction in outer space. assumed to be not much of a threat to Known as “Kessler Syndrome,” the the global environment because the theory posited that orbits above Earth space industry was considered small. could one day become so crowded, so Dilution was the solution to space travel polluted with both active satellites and pollution. Now the dog is coming home the junk from of past space missions, to bite the master. that it could render future space travel International regulations are needed problematic and even impossible. to guide the program of commercial and Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck reports military rocket launches in the future. the company is already beginning to ex- Every current rocket engine causes perience the effect of growing conges- some ozone loss, and toxic rocket ex- tion in outer space. The sheer number hausts are the only human sources of of objects in space right now (a number ozone-destroying compounds injected that is quickly growing due to SpaceX’s directly into the middle and upper strato- satellite internet constellation, Starlink) sphere where the ozone layer resides. is making it more difficult to find a clear Future ozone losses from unregu- path for rockets to launch new satellites. lated rocket launches will eventually Multiple aerospace companies, in- exceed ozone losses due to chlorofluo- cluding SpaceX and OneWeb, have During re-entry, big chunks of alumi- composition and reactivity. Scientific rocarbons, or CFCs, which stimulated vowed to launch tens of thousands of num and other materials are subjected models suggest that at least 50 percent the 1987 Montreal Protocol banning satellites into low Earth orbit, but these to intense heating. Some particles are of a given debris object will end up as ozone-depleting chemicals. mega-constellations could make space very reactive, so even small amounts RSPs during re-entry. “As the rocket launch market grows, a more congested and dangerous place. of them could have a significant effect We must take capitalism and milita- so will ozone-destroying rocket emis- The plunge into Earth’s atmosphere on atmospheric chemistry. rism out of the space biz. Space is part sions,” said Professor Darin Toohey of worn-out satellites, rocket parts ‘Vaporize’ may mean ‘disappear’ in of our environment. of Colorado University-Boulder’s and other space junk is a common most people’s minds, but that’s assur- atmospheric and oceanic sciences de- occurrence. For spacecraft re-entries, edly not the case with re-entering space —Much of the info above was obtained partment. “If left unregulated, rocket that process means basically ‘burning junk. Such debris generates ‘reentry from multiple space-related Internet sites launches by the year 2050 could result computers’. smoke particles’ (RSPs) of unknown

China Completes its Satellite Network by Gunnar Ulson The fact alone that China possesses huge transportation component ne- Earlier this year, China launched the technology to not only develop cessitating satellite navigation to track the final satellite in its Beidou satellite navigation satellites but also to launch and guide vehicles, trains, boats, and navigation network. and operate them to provide global aircraft. With China possessing its The completion of China’s Beidou coverage is a key metric of China’s rise own satellite navigation network with network makes it the fourth network of as a global power. full global coverage, China will neither its kind and capabilities alongside the The New York Times had noted in its depend on other nations like the U.S. U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), article, “China’s ‘Belt and Road’ Plan or the EU for access to their GPS and Russia’s GLONASS, and the European in Pakistan Takes a Military Turn,” Galileo networks nor be vulnerable Union’s Galileo network. that China had extended the use of to efforts by the U.S. and EU to deny Conceived in the 1990s with the its Beidou satellite navigation system China access to such network in order first and second versions providing to Pakistan not only for commercial to hamper its growing influence region- coverage for China and Asia-Pacific, use but also for military use. The ar- ally and globally. respectively, the completed network ticle speculated that China planned now has global coverage with a total to extend this offer to other potential —Ulson Gunnar is a New York-based geo- of 35 operational satellites, more satel- partners across Eurasia as part of its political analyst and writer for the online lites than any other network currently Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). magazine New Eastern Outlook operates. Of course, the BRI will include a 16 Space Alert! Winter/Spring 2021 the funnies the

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