War in Space

In 1983, US President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative, which became known as the ‘Star Wars’ programme. But was it really all about space? Dr Aaron Bateman, Assistant Professor of History and International Affairs at George Washington University (GWU) and member of the Space Policy Institute within the Elliott School of International Affairs at GWU, explains how thinking about space-based missile defence evolved and how earth observation capabilities played a role in the Cold War. He also touches on how space impacted US–UK relations during that time.

With her eight-day mission in 1991, Helen Sharman became the first British person in space. She also became the first woman aboard the Mir Space Station. In this episode, Helen reflects on her training in Star City, and ponders what value human spaceflight brings to us and the evolution of safety in space missions. Looking ahead, what will happen to the International Space Station? And what might UK involvement in future crewed missions look like?

What is the main driver of change - technology or strategy? Which one should it be? Kim Crider, former US Space Force Chief Technology and Innovation Officer and current Managing Director, AI Innovation for National Security and Defence at Deloitte, talks to us about the early days of the US Space Force and how one integrates tech, science and military strategy. The discussion then evolves into examining how these strategies filter down into tactical military planning, and the obstacles that can arise when incorporating new space technologies into existing defence structures.

With private space tech companies such as Starlink and Maxar making headlines during the Ukraine war, how have they affected the battlefield? And to what extent is the involvement of private companies new? Professor Jeremy Grunert, Assistant Professor of Law at the US Air Force Academy, answers these questions and more in the context of international space laws. This includes the question of whether an attack against a commercial asset could trigger NATO's Article 5.

It takes a village to get to space. Melissa Thorpe, the CEO of spaceport Cornwall, talks to us about the UK's first sovereign launch, the stakeholders involved and what the future holds for the UK county of Cornwall regarding space. Why is a sovereign launch capability so important? What are the implications for the UK space sector? And how does one become a spaceport?

Space has been a popular domain for power projection ever since the launch of Russia’s Sputnik in 1957. But how is soft power relevant in this domain? Dr Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), joins us to take a closer look at how China is utilising soft power in the space domain. This includes Tiangong, its space station; space situational awareness (SSA) ground stations all over the world; and BeiDou, China’s GPS equivalent. Are these measures successful in projecting power? Where do they fit into the wider Chinese foreign policy of the Belt and Road Initiative? And is Russia likely to remain China’s chief partner in this field?

Are space regulations doomed to lag behind the newest emerging technology in the sector? Anuradha Damale-Day, Policy Fellow and Programme Manager at BASIC, talks to us about how the development of space tech is having an impact on legal frameworks. Given her recent experience at the Open-Ended Working Group session on threats, held in Geneva, she ponders on the progress recorded in the international forum. What would be the impact of UN General Assembly Resolution 75/36 on reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours?

A bite-size explanation of the Chinese space programme, its ambitions and its underlying motivations. Dr Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), talks to us about the future plans for space and the blurry boundaries between civil and military, private and state-owned. Finally, we talk about the concerns surrounding China's strides in active debris removal technology, which has a dual-use nature. Are the worries legitimate or should we focus on other technology instead?

The space industry is a multibillion-dollar sector that is growing each year and becoming increasingly commercialised – the phenomenon of new space. But how exactly does it work? Who is funding the bulk of space activities? And does one need insurance as a space operator? Professor Akhil Rao, Assistant Professor at Middlebury College in the US, talks to us about the space economy and how we should understand it. We discuss how the rules of the road are shaping the industry, and how new ideas – such as that of an ‘orbital use fee’ – might in turn help regulate the domain. Finally, we discuss where the future of the space industry may lie; is it time to talk about asteroid mining and space resource extraction?

What did the beginnings of the US space programme look like? Who was the strategist who decided to invest in it? And was the starting point President Kennedy's reach-the-moon promise, or President Reagan's 'Star Wars' programme? Dr Mark Shanahan, Associate Professor of Politics at the University of Surrey, unveils his research on the often-unappreciated influence of an earlier US leader: President Eisenhower and his two-term administration between 1953 and 1961. The discussion highlights lessons from the Cold War and their applicability to the great power competition dynamics of today.