This CSIS analysis details how escalation and deterrence dynamics change with the increasing use of UAS in conflict areas and examines several cases of how these dynamics might realistically occur.
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Space Threat Assessment 2018
Space Threat Assessment 2018 analyzes the open-source information available on the counterspace capabilities of other countries that can threaten U.S. space systems.
Bad Idea: Conflating the Space Force with NASA
As the administration moves forward with establishing a new military service focused on space, leaders should keep their language clear and use this opportunity to educate the public about both civil and national security space.
So What’s the Big Deal About Mars InSight?
Why go to Mars? The InSight vehicle is designed to examine the Mars interior—its core and crust—to learn how the planetary formations may have been different from ours and look for evidence of seismic or other events that may explain its hellish reality today.
A Space Force is Worth the Price
We should not wait for a Pearl Harbor in space to realize we need to reorganize and elevate space as a co-equal branch of the military. Just as the Air Force was worth the disruption and additional costs more than 70 years ago, a Space Force is worth the price today.
How Much Will the Space Force Cost?
This report provides rough estimates for the number of personnel, annual budget, and additional funding that would be needed for a U.S. Space Force.
What Can 24 Satellites Do for U.S. Missile Defense?
Despite some missile defense advocates’ claims that 24 satellites could form the basis of a boost-phase space-based missile interceptor (SBI) system, many physicists do not agree. A better question is how could a satellite constellation of this size best contribute to U.S. missile defense?
U.S. Missile Defense and the Theater-Strategic Nexus
As it stands, the planned strategy of forsaking arms control in the name of coercive diplomacy is bound to backfire. The Pentagon should tread carefully, lest it invites Russia to develop strategic weapons it has no method or intention of countering.
Why a Space Force Can Wait
Establishing a Department of the Space Force by 2020 is rushing into an end solution without proper consideration. Although there have been several space reorganization studies in the past two decades, a comprehensive public debate of our current space capabilities and their organization is just beginning.
Why We Need a Space Force
Space capabilities are already an indispensable component of U.S. military power. A Space Force is needed to consolidate authority and responsibility for national security space; to build a robust cadre of space professionals; and to avoid the conflicts of interest inherent in the other Services that have short-changed space programs for decades.