View What Can 24 Satellites Do for U.S. Missile Defense? By Thomas G. Roberts PublishedOctober 18, 2018 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?
View How Much Will the Space Force Cost? By Todd Harrison PublishedNovember 19, 2018 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.
View How Does Space Policy Directive-4 Reorganize U.S. Military Space Operations? By Kaitlyn Johnson PublishedFebruary 20, 2019 CSIS defense expert Kaitlyn Johnson breaks down the long-anticipated Space Policy Directive-4, which announced the formal creation of the U.S. Space Force on February 19, 2019.
View Space Threat Assessment 2019 By Todd Harrison, Kaitlyn Johnson, Thomas G. Roberts, Alexandra Coultrup, Madison Bergethon PublishedApril 4, 2019 An interactive summary of Space Threat Assessment 2019, a featured report from the CSIS Aerospace Security Project.
View Space Force or Space Corps? Competing Visions for a New Military Service By Kaitlyn Johnson PublishedJune 27, 2019 Is there going to be a new military service for space? This CSIS Brief provides a side-by-side comparison of legislative proposals for the Space Force from the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and the Department of Defense.
View To the Moon in Five Years: Understanding NASA’s Artemis Program By Court Manske PublishedJuly 23, 2019 In March 2019, Vice President Mike Pence announced that the United States plans to send the first woman and the next man to the lunar surface by the end of 2024. What are the next steps for returning American astronauts to the Moon?
View The Risks a War in Space Poses for Nuclear Stability on Earth By Todd Harrison PublishedJuly 30, 2019 A fresh perspective on the vulnerability of U.S. space assets and their role in nuclear deterrence in an increasingly crowded and contested domain.
View What Does the Trump Administration’s New Memorandum Mean for Nuclear-Powered Space Missions? By Kaitlyn Johnson, Court Manske PublishedAugust 28, 2019 In late August 2019, the Trump administration released a new presidential memorandum updating safety procedures for spacecraft launched with nuclear components. In this piece, the Aerospace Security Project answers questions about nuclear spacecraft and this legal change.
View How the Air Force Can Save $30 Billion By Todd Harrison PublishedNovember 11, 2019 This analysis examines possible fleet reductions that could generate $30 billion in savings over the next five years for the US Air Force.
View The Air Force Digital Century Series: Beyond the Buzzwords By Morgan Dwyer PublishedNovember 18, 2019 in terms of a “holy trinity” of agile development, open architecture, and digital engineering. But as was discussed at the Air Force Association’s 2019 National Convention, the Digital Century Series is more than just a series of buzzwords. My understanding of the USAF’s plan to implement and integrate these buzzwords—as well as that plan’s potential—are […]