View Space Threat Assessment 2023 By Kari A. Bingen, Kaitlyn Johnson, Makena Young, John W. "Jay" RaymondPublishedApril 14, 2023 This resource for policymakers and the public leverages open-source information to assess key developments in foreign counterspace weapons. Drawing on six years of collected data and analyses, this series describes trends in the development, testing, and use of counterspace weapons and enables readers to develop a deeper understanding of threats to U.S. national security interests in space. The past year was dominated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where space capabilities, including commercial satellites, played a highly visible and compelling role in Ukraine’s resistance to the invasion. Thus, this year’s featured analysis provides an in-depth look at Russia’s battlefield employment of counterspace weapons.
View U.S. Space Force Primer By Kari A. Bingen, Kaitlyn Johnson, John Dylan Bustillo, Marie Villarreal DeanPublishedDecember 22, 2022 The U.S. Space Force, the newest branch of the U.S. military, is growing in complexity and mission. This primer presents a short history of the Space Force, as well as key details and internal organization.
View Space Threat Assessment 2022 By Kaitlyn Johnson, Todd Harrison, Makena Young, Nicholas Wood, Alyssa GoesslerPublishedApril 4, 2022 The 2022 Space Threat Assessment covers the growing counterspace capabilities of China, Russia, India, Iran, North Korea, and others. It also analyzes several key events, including the 2021 Russian ASAT test, the supposed Chinese FOBS test, and Russian jamming in Ukraine.
View Fly Me to the Moon: Worldwide Cislunar and Lunar Missions By Kaitlyn JohnsonPublishedFebruary 15, 2022 Fly Me to the Moon examines planned cislunar and lunar missions over the next decade from countries around the world. This compilation showcases the growth of satellites, rovers, and experiments intended to extend humanity’s reach more firmly into cislunar space and on the Moon.
View Unmanned Aerial Systems Military Incidents Last UpdatedSeptember 1, 2022 Use this interactive map to explore incidents involving UAS in conflict areas.
View U.S. Air Force Budget Last UpdatedJuly 6, 2022 FY18 and FY19 budget requests for major programs within the United States Air Force.
View Podcast: A Behind the Scenes Look at Space Threats By Todd Harrison, Kaitlyn Johnson, Thomas G. Roberts, Victoria Samson, Brian WeedenPublishedJune 1, 2018 Go behind the scenes with the authors of “Space Threat Assessment 2018.” They’re joined by the Secure World Foundation’s Victoria Samson and Brian Weeden to discuss what it’s like to study counterspace weapons—an inherently classified topic—in an unclassified environment.
View How Does Space Policy Directive 3 Affect Space Traffic Management? By Todd Harrison, Kaitlyn JohnsonPublishedJune 19, 2018 What did the Trump Administration’s third space policy directive change? How does it affect space debris? Will there be a Space Force? Read this assessment to find out all these answers and more!
View Beyond the RD-180 By Todd Harrison, Andrew Hunter, Kaitlyn Johnson, Thomas G. Roberts, Evan LinckPublishedMarch 21, 2017 This report explores how the United States came to depend on the Russian RD-180 rocket engine as part of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, realistic options for the engine’s replacement in the coming decade, and potential space launch acquisition strategies for the future.
View Implications of Ultra-Low-Cost Access to Space By Todd Harrison, Andrew Hunter, Kaitlyn Johnson, Thomas G. RobertsPublishedMarch 21, 2017 To understand a future where the cost of access to space is only a fraction of what it is today, CSIS turned to a curated group of space experts, including launch providers, satellite manufacturers, government analysts, space law practitioners, and military strategists. This report details trends in low-cost access to space, identifies key opportunities for further cost reductions and policies needed to spur innovation, and explores new military missions that would be enabled if these trends lead to significant reductions in the cost of access to space.
