View Commercial Space Remote Sensing and Its Role in National Security By Todd Harrison, Matthew Strohmeyer PublishedFebruary 2, 2022 Over the past two decades, the pace of innovation in the commercial space remote sensing industry has accelerated. The capabilities provided by commercial firms can be used to complement government space systems across a wide range of national security missions and fill in gaps in capabilities where the U.S. government has lagged. The challenge for […]
Jan26 Dancing Lights in Space: How to Manage The Risks of Satellite Close Approaches in Geostationary Orbit Both commercial satellite operators and governments are increasingly concerned about uncoordinated close approaches of their satellites by others in space, particularly in the geostationary belt where many valuable commercial and national security satellites reside. The Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Secure World Foundation (SWF) are […]
View When Elephants Fight in Space By Zhanna Malekos Smith PublishedJanuary 12, 2022 There is an insightful African proverb that says, “When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.” The same can be said for when states launch kinetic anti-satellite tests that produce harmful clouds of debris. Not only do these destructive tests—such as the Russian Federation’s missile test on November 15—undermine a sustainable space environment for all, but as the commercial […]
Nov16 Understanding the Intersection between Commercial Space and National Security ISR Needs Please join the Aerospace Security Project on Tuesday, November 16th at 2pm ET for a conversation on the ISR needs of both commercial and national security space. Moderator Todd Harrison, Director of the Aerospace Security Project and Defense Budget Analysis at CSIS, will be joined by Sue Gordon, Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence of […]
View On-Orbit Servicing By Hannah Duke PublishedSeptember 16, 2021 On-orbit servicing is an emerging industry that provides access to satellites in orbit for repairs, upgrades, inspection, maneuvering without regret, and debris mitigation. These capabilities have the potential to revolutionize logistics and resiliency of DoD operations in space.
View To Infinity and Beyond: Civil and Commercial Space Policy in the Biden Administration By Kaitlyn Johnson PublishedFebruary 10, 2021 This is a pivotal time for civil and commercial space policy. The Biden administration should build from the successful policies of the Trump administration and look for new ways to engage new partnerships both domestically and internationally.
Space Launch to Low Earth Orbit: How Much Does It Cost? By Thomas G. Roberts Last UpdatedSeptember 1, 2022 This data repository compares costs between space launch vehicles by incorporating many vehicle characteristics into a single figure: the cost to launch one kilogram of payload mass to low Earth orbit (LEO) as part of a dedicated launch.
View Eyes on the Prize By Spencer Kaplan PublishedJuly 13, 2020 As many nations look towards the Moon and Mars, the CSIS Aerospace Security Project looks towards the strategic implications of government and commercial action in cislunar space and on the Moon.
Successes and Failures of U.S. Space Launch Last UpdatedSeptember 1, 2022 This data interactive highlights the successful and failed launches of space launch vehicles in the United States.
U.S. Space Launch Last UpdatedSeptember 1, 2022 This data interactive highlights trends among the five most successful space launch vehicles in the United States.