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.
View Space Is Booming, America’s Next Heavy-Lift Rocket Should Reflect That By Todd Harrison, Andrew Hunter, Kaitlyn Johnson, Thomas G. Roberts, Evan LinckPublishedMarch 22, 2017 As the U.S. government leaves the RD-180 rocket engine behind, it should position itself to support and reap the benefits of the growth in orbital markets.
View How It Works: Detecting a North Korean Missile Strike on Guam By Todd Harrison, Tom Karako, Thomas G. RobertsPublishedAugust 28, 2017 In August 2017, North Korea threatened to launch four ballistic missiles towards Guam, targeting waters less than 30 kilometers off the island’s coast. How and when would U.S. missile defense forces respond if an attack like this were to take place?
View Escalation and Deterrence in the Second Space Age By Todd Harrison, Zack Cooper, Kaitlyn Johnson, Thomas G. RobertsPublishedOctober 3, 2017 The second space age is more diverse, disruptive, disordered, and dangerous than the first. This report discusses the threats to U.S. space systems, deterrence theory in the space domain, and findings from a space crisis exercise.
View The Evolution of Space as a Contested Domain By Todd Harrison, Zack Cooper, Kaitlyn Johnson, Thomas G. RobertsPublishedOctober 10, 2017 From the dawn of the first space age, Americans understood the many benefits that could come from the peaceful uses of space and the great harm that could result from hostile uses of space.
View Why We Should Be Worried about a War in Space By Thomas G. RobertsPublishedDecember 15, 2017 There aren’t enough rules governing military behavior in the upper atmosphere.
View Bad Idea: Space-Based Missile Interceptors By Thomas G. RobertsPublishedDecember 19, 2017 The idea of space-based missile interceptors is not new nor prohibited, but it is a bad idea. This piece looks beyond the policy arguments and explores the inefficiencies and vulnerabilities of space-based missiles.
View Deterrence in the Last Sanctuary By Zack Cooper, Thomas G. RobertsPublishedJanuary 2, 2018 There’s never been a war in the space domain, but some believe it won’t be that way forever. For 60 years, space has been the exception: the one domain that has remained free from the scars of war. By better understanding the dynamics of the second space age, we may be able to keep it that way.
View President Trump Wants His Moonshot Without Paying for It By Thomas G. RobertsPublishedFebruary 15, 2018 Like past presidents, Trump is setting an ambitious space agenda that is not backed up with resources