Space Alert Volume V, Issue 4 – October 2017
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Space Alert Volume V, Issue 4 – October 2017 ORF Quarterly on Space Affairs CONTENTS FROM THE MEDIA COMMENTARIES FROM THE MEDIA G39 successes later, PSLV launch fails The Proposed US Space Corps: A Turning WillISRO’s Resume Mars Satellite Mission Launches Successful, by December: India Point for Space Security? ISROMakes Chief History By Daniel Porras ISROISRO searches Inks Deal for with new Chinamakers for of Space rocket parts The US National Defense Authorization Act Isro'sIndia space Offers battery Outer to power Space govt's Expertise e-vehicle to calls for creation of “Space Corps”. With more driveBangladesh and more military resources being invested in U.S. Dismisses Space Weapons Treaty outer space, it is logical that the US would DARPA trying to launch smallsat experiment Proposal as “Fundamentally Flawed” want to consolidate their assets and streamline on an Indian rocket the chain of command. IndiaNASA needs Plans 75 new to satellites Send inSubmarine next 4 years: to Saturn’s Moon GLXP: Enabling Commercial Lunar Isro scientist Explorers OPINIONS ISRO is going AND to ANALYSISlaunch the Chandrayaan 2 By Vidya Sagar Reddy mission on a GSLV MKII in March 2018 Trai, Malaysian Telecom Regulator ink pact The Google Lunar X Prize deadline for Jeff Bezos calls for a dynamic, entrepreneurial completing the mission requirements is now NEW PUBLICATIONS set to end of March 2018. The competition has boom in space been narrowed to five teams to win the grand Plano man admits illegally smuggling U.S. prize of $20 million. The prize is set to open space technology to China, Russia the Moon for commercial exploration, services Russia and US will cooperate to build moon's and exploitation. first space station India’s Space: ISRO’s Tryst with Private Sector OPINIONS AND ANALYSES By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan NEW PUBLICATIONS ISRO should do everything to play the role of a facilitator for the private sector in order to increase India’s overall capability and EDITORIAL BOARD capacity. A new, publicly-stated policy that The Proposed US Space Corps: A would facilitate the process could possibly Editor:Turning Dr. P Rajeswarioint for S Pillaipace RajagopalanSecurity? help. Associate Editor: Vidya Sagar Reddy 1 The Proposed US Space Corps: A this context, it may be worth exploring Turning Point for Space Security? whether having a dedicated Space Corps will give the US sufficient comfort to explore more Daniel Porras aggressive arms control agreements in outer space that the rest of the international Introduction community has been calling for. A new proposal has been put forward by the A brief history of the US military in outer US Congress that is likely to raise eyebrows space among the international community and, in particular, among spacefaring nations. There is no denying the intimate relationship Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL) recently between the military and US space activities. inserted an amendment to the US National Space technology is dual-use by nature. The Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which first rockets were designed at the White Sands passed in July, that calls for the creation of Missile Range, a US Army installation, and “Space Corps”, a dedicated branch of the satellites were deployed as reconnaissance military for outer space operations. tools between the Cold War adversaries. Today, satellites provide critical information The stated purpose of this is to “fix the for US military operations around the world. fragmented space acquisition process” and to establish a “subordinate, unified command for The Department of Defense also carries out all space operations.” However, many numerous experiments involving highly countries, particularly those that have secretive capabilities. Two months ago, the advocated for strict adherence to principles of Air Force launched one of its most visible “peaceful uses” of outer space, will likely be symbols of military space superiority, the X- wary of what such a move will mean for the 37B. Built by Boeing and launched by stability and security in outer space. Indeed, SpaceX, the X-37B is an autonomous drone the tone of many discussions around that has flown on six missions, each time Washington, DC are markedly more hawkish exceeding the scheduled duration of its flight, these days, with some even proposing that the the last mission lasting nearly two years. For US should force a renegotiation of the Outer its part, the Air Force has given virtually no Space Treaty (OST) to embrace conflict in indication as to the nature of the X-37B’s space, or leave the Treaty regime altogether. operations, leaving most to speculate that it is an intelligence-gathering platform (though it Yet, underneath the bluster that has become a has been suggested that it could be refitted as hallmark of today’s US political scene, one an emergency life vehicle for the International can see that what the US is proposing is Space Station). neither radical nor irresponsible by modern standards. Rather, the US is simply giving a The US military also conducts vital civilian central office for activities that already exist. services. It was the US Air Force that in the Moreover, they are not proposing to turn outer 1970’s and 1980’s launched the Global space into a battlefield, but rather to take a Positioning System (GPS), the first global position in defining the rules of engagement in navigation satellite service. It is nearly space before the first shots are fired in orbit. In impossible to imagine a world today that did 2 not somehow benefit from this free service. world, it certainly shouldn’t shock the Furthermore, the US Air Force maintains the conscience upon closer inspection. With more oldest space situational awareness network and more military resources being invested in operated out of the Vandenberg Air Force outer space, it is logical that the US would Base. want to consolidate their assets and streamline the chain of command. What’s more, with the This network monitors not only satellites but growing threat of a nuclear-armed North also small (and dangerous) fragments of space Korea capable of launching a nuclear weapon debris. While the Air Force has dutifully into low-earth orbit (creating a devastating managed this responsibility for all space electromagnetic pulse that would disable actors, they are presently seeking the means to worldwide satellite services), it is little wonder pass on the responsibility of civilian that Rep. Rogers is calling for a space-based commercial space traffic management in missile-intercept system to be investigated. favour of commercial actors, companies that will not have the restrictions of “classified” What is also important is that the US is not information that inhibit the military from calling for “open war” in outer space. In fact, disseminating information. those in the US who support the idea of a Space Corps also advocate for the Over the years, numerous departments institutionalisation of rules to prevent the undertook these missions but with relatively indiscriminate use of force in space. For few crossovers. Even within the Air Force, the example, it has been proposed that a ban branch that carries out the bulk of US military should be adopted for the testing of kinetic space activities, there is isolation between anti-satellite weapons as they create space different applications. Consequently, today, debris harming other space assets. there are pockets of space operations spread out throughout the US military with no central Such a proposal has been made in the past but leadership to advocate for space applications there was little impetus to drive the effort or make comprehensive strategic decisions. forward among the international community. However, in an age where political uncertainty It is the hope of lawmakers that a Space Corps and shifting alliances are putting the already would give US forces the ability to react tenuous stability in space at risk, it may be swiftly and decisively in the space theatre. It time to pursue what was once considered will also provide an advocate, in the form of aggressive measures but may now seem far the commander that oversees the Space Corps, more reasonable. whose sole responsibility is to advance the Space Corp’s interest on Capitol Hill, without Not everyone is on-board having to subsume those interests to another branch such as the Air Force. As with everything in Washington, there is no consensus on the notion of US Space Corps. Is it so radical? Many of the top brass, in fact, believe that a Space Corps is a distraction and is not needed While some will undoubtedly gasp when they at the present time, particularly in light of the read the headlines that the US has efforts the US military is already taking to institutionalised the first Space Corps in the normalise operations in the military domain. 3 Even James Mattis, the Secretary of Defense, has been quoted as saying that Space Corps is “premature”. The Defense Budget must still be agreed upon by the Senate, so there is still a chance that this proposal will not be passed. Yet. At the rate things are going, it is probably more a matter of “when” than “if”. What is also conspicuously absent as of yet is the opinion from the international community. What will the US allies think of a force dedicated to fighting in space? What about its enemies? What kind of signal will the US send to the international community if the Senate should approve the Space Corps provisions in the Defense Budget? While there is no reaction yet, the US would do well to temper the signal that will be sent out by this move in order to set nerves at ease among the international space community.