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Policy Memo: Space Sustainability and Security

Michelle Babcock

Between creating space debris, testing anti-satellite weapons, and jamming/spoofing other satellites, China and Russia pose a significant threat to activities in space. The United States should create redundancies in critical space infrastructure, improve space situational awareness, lead collaborations to remove space debris, and forge diplomatic solutions to prevent kinetic attacks in space and encourage debris removal collaborations.

China and Russia continue to develop and demonstrate the capabilities of weapons against space assets – including ground-based and space-based kinetic weapons, and non-kinetic temporary attacks such as spoofing, jamming, and cyber attacks – which pose a threat to activities in space both for the U.S. and for the entire world [1][2][10][12]. China and Russia have both demonstrated their anti-satellite weapon technology in the recent past. Russia showed its ability to use destructive kinetic weapons through direct anti-satellite demonstrations, the latest of which happening in 2021 and creating more than 1,500 pieces of debris that put astronauts on the International Space Station at risk, and China conducted an anti-satellite test by destroying one of their own defunct weather satellites and creating thousands of pieces of debris in 2007 [1][2][10][12].

In addition to these weapons confirming a direct physical danger to space activity by threatening the destruction of targeted assets, this technology also poses a threat to further the problem of space debris [6][10][12]. The testing and use of kinetic space weapons creates space debris, which itself is a significant threat to space activity [3][4][6][8][12]. Space debris has already been responsible for several close calls with U.S. and foreign space assets, and increases the risk of Kessler Syndrome making space unusable [8][12][15]. Additionally, cyber threats, spoofing, and jamming are non-kinetic threats that can disable and interfere with space activities, and the boundaries of accepted behavior continue to be pushed by Russia and China [2]. Space Force already deals with consistent “reversible” attacks on U.S. satellites by China and Russia, ranging from frequency jammers and cyber attacks, to lasers [2].

Because of the significant risks to space activity from China and Russia, it’s imperative for the U.S. to invest in non-debris-creating technology for the future of space security, create redundancies in critical space assets, lead the way in space debris removal and prevention, improve space situational awareness to be able to monitor and attribute any actions to the correct country of origin, and continue to work with allies to assess risks and deter conflict in space.

Use of kinetic space weapons could be catastrophic, hence the need to invest specifically in space defense that won’t create more debris. The continued creation of space debris (Kessler Syndrome) will eventually lead to a situation where space is unusable [3][6]. The need to clean up existing space debris and minimize future debris-creation is also imperative, and the U.S. should prioritize and lead the way in this effort [3][4][5][6][7][12]. This could involve regulation nationally, international collaborations and agreements, and investment in technologies to reduce current and prevent future debris.

Redundancies in critical infrastructure and situational awareness are also imperative considering the present threat from Russia and China, and from space debris both already existing and that could occur in the future [9][10]. In the event of either kinetic or non-kinetic attacks, the U.S. is not prepared with backup systems for critical infrastructure, and should also prioritize this [9][10].



Works Cited

[1] Courtney Albon. “US space officials expect Russia, Ukraine conflict to extend into space.” C4ISRNet. 24 February 2022. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2022/02/24/us-space-officials-expect-russia-ukraine-conflict-to-exte nd-into-space/

[2] Josh Rogin. “Opinion: A shadow war in space is heating up fast.” Washington Post. 30 November 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/30/space-race-china-david-thompson/

[3] Alex Brown. “Did We Break Space?” The Atlantic. 28 January 2014. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/did-we-break-space/441483/

[4] Debra Werner. “Will megaconstellations cause a dangerous spike in orbital debris?.” Space News. 15 November 2018. https://spacenews.com/will-megaconstellations-cause-a-dangerous-spike-in-orbital-debris/

[5] Weeden, Brian and Victoria Samson. “New UN Guidelines For Space Sustainability Are A Big Deal.” Breaking Defense. 4 April 2018. https://breakingdefense.com/2018/04/new-un-guidelines-for-space-sustainability-are-a-big-deal/

[6] Darren McKnight and Chris Kunstadter. “Op-ed: Space Debris Management is even more urgent than Space Traffic Management.” Space News. 15 February 2022. https://spacenews.com/op-ed-space-debris-management-is-even-more-urgent-than-space-traffic-management/

[7] Brian Weeden. “Op-ed: How America Can Become a Leader in Cleaning Up Space.” Space News. 16 February 2022. https://spacenews.com/op-ed-how-america-can-become-a-leader-in-cleaning-up-space/

[8] Stephen Chen. “China’s rocket break-up sends space junk flying near Starlink orbit.” South China Post. 15 November 2022. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3199694/chinas-rocket-break-sends-space-junk-flying-near-starlin k-orbit

[9] Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Lily Kuo. “For rivals Japan and China, the new space race is about removing junk.” Washington Post. 20 November 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/11/20/japan-china-space-junk-removal-compete/

[10] Hennigan, W.J. “Exclusive: Strange Russian Spacecraft Shadowing U.S. Spy Satellite, General Says.” Time Magazine. 20 February 2020. <https://time.com/5779315/russian-spacecraft-spy-satellite-space-force/>.

[11] Bender, Bryan and Jacqueline Klimas. “Space war is coming — and the U.S. is not ready.” Politico. 2018 April 6. <https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/06/outer-space-war-defense-russia-china-463067>.

[12] U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. “Challenges to Security in Space.” January 2019. <https://www.dia.mil/Portals/27/Documents/News/Military%20Power%20Publications/Space_Threat_V14_020119 _sm.pdf>.

[13] W.J. Hennigan. “To Slow an Anti-Satellite Arms Race, White House Bans U.S. Tests of Space Weapons.” Time. 18 April 2022. https://time.com/6168148/space-weapons-ban-harris/

[14] Meredith Roaten. “Report Warns U.S. Needs Space-based Weapons to Defend JADC2.” National Defense Review. 24 October 2022.

Memo: Space Sustainability and Security

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