Weaponizing Space :: Politics, National Space

1.There is an ongoing debate on the go forth of weaponizing lay in order to protect our national plaza assets and compass national strategic objectives. This is an issue because of the increase of more office faring nations assay to exploit the benefits of space and other nations also trying to develop capabilities to split up other from using it. This background paper will outline the on-line(prenominal) international laws and policies, our national policies in regard to space, current issues that catalyzed this debate, the benefits and disadvantage of weaponizing space.2. plaza is also governed by rules and laws much like we do on take and sea. Treaty on Principles Governming the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer office, including the idle and Other Celestial Bodies, or commonly referred to as the Outer station Treaty was signed in 1966 by m whatever nations, including the Unites States, and is the basis for close international space laws and policies. Some key points to take away from this accordance in relation to the space weapons debate are the following (1) satellite(a) space is open to all nations to explore and use (2) nations cannot own every portion of outer space (3) outer space will be used for peaceful purposes (4) nations cannot place, put in orbit, or station any weapons of mass destruction in any form in outer space. (UNOOSA) These principles and laws are also mostly reflected in our nations space policy, and our national security space strategy.3.Our National Space Policy (NSP) is derived from the hot seats vision and directives. NSP incorporates the terms outlined in the Outer Space Treaty, as well as two caveats (1) to deter, defend our nations space assets, and if deterrence fails, defeat efforts to attack them enemy Capt Cho/SOS/Flight C-33/3-6060/DBC/06 May 2011threats (NSP, 3) (2) to charm with international partners to continue to promote peaceful use of space. (NSP,4). Also, NSP shapes the National security measures Space Strategy (NSSS), which the Department of Defense uses to direct the way the army develop and utilize space capabilities. 4.NSSS states a few current trends in space as being congested and contested (NSSS, 8), which is shaping our space strategic environment as well as fueling debates for space weapons. Congested trend refers to the current 60 nations and government consortia that own and depart satellites and the expectation to have 9000 satellite communication transponders in orbit by 2015.