War in Space

Paul Taylor, Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at Friends of Europe and Contributing Editor at Politico, talks to us about his newest report, ‘Running out of Space: European Security in Space’. We discuss how countries seek to influence or shape space law by establishing unilateral facts which other states are then expected to follow, and what a European contribution to a legal framework might look like. We also look at the security dimension, especially whether European priorities converge, and to what extent collaboration can still be limited by the requirements of secrecy.

With the cost of launch into lower earth orbit (LEO) decreasing, many satellite companies are choosing this orbit for their operations. But what are the disadvantages? And how do we keep satellites safe? Chris Moore is the Vice President of International Government and Trade Engagement at OneWeb, a satellite constellation aiming to provide global internet services. He talks to us about safekeeping procedures for satellites in LEO and how we can defend against cyber attacks.

The history of spaceflight has always been closely linked to the development of missile technology. But does that mean that advances in a country's missile programme also spell success for its space ambitions? And is there a difference between a rocket and a missile? Melissa Hanham, an affiliate with the Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation, explains why missile developments matter for space, why diplomatic language around this wording can be important, and how space in turn helps us keep track of ballistic missile testing.

How do you track a satellite? How reliable is its re-entry into the atmosphere? And how do we know what is happening in space? Dr Jonathan McDowell, astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, talks to us about orbital profiles, space debris, and just how crowded LEO (lower Earth orbit) is getting these days. We discuss re-entry into the atmosphere, how mega-constellations might challenge our previous assumptions about the atmosphere, and how X-ray telescopes are helping us explore space.

Richard Franklin, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space UK, explains why satellites are essentially flying computers, and how their inner workings determine their function and lifespan. In this episode of War in Space, Richard talks to us about how satellites manoeuvre and how they can be protected from everyday interference, as well as deliberate jamming and cyber attacks. With space playing an increasingly important role in defence, we ask: what are the remaining obstacles to achieving multi-domain integration?

In a rapidly growing sector such as space, tracking and predicting trends is a necessary, if challenging, task. We speak with Taskeen Ali, Head of Horizon Scanning at the Space Directorate within the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. She talks to us about emerging trends, how horizon scanning works and how to avoid blind spots in an industry that is growing more and more connected as it evolves.

The US was the first state to conduct an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons test, as far back as 1959. Since then, several countries have conducted similar tests, generating dangerous orbital debris. Now, the US has also become the first state to declare – unilaterally – that it will not conduct direct-ascent ASAT tests that create debris. But why conduct such tests in the first place? Are they useful from a military perspective? How destructive are they exactly? And what kind of policy would be most effective at preventing further tests that pose a risk to our orbits? We discuss all this, and the ambitions for the UN’s open-ended working group on reducing space threats, which started in May 2022, with Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director for Secure World Foundation, and Dr Brian Weeden, Director of Programme Planning at Secure World Foundation.

The concept of 'New Space' refers to the increasing commercialisation of the domain to smaller companies, at the expense of the previous dominance of state actors. But how have decreasing costs and greater accessibility changed the industry? Do we need new rules for space, now that it is hosting an increasingly large pool of actors? And who should be responsible for making and implementing such rules? We discuss this and more with Luca del Monte, Head of the Commercialisation Department at the European Space Agency.

SpaceX has become a household name, and its success has shaped the modern space industry. But what about its tenuous beginnings? We analyse the failed launches and the difficult financial straits the company went through in discussion with Eric Berger, Senior Space Editor at Ars Technica and author of Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX. In addition to analysing why building and launching rockets is so hard, we trace the implications the war in Ukraine has already had for the West's cooperation with Russia on the International Space Station. Will Russia be the world's first former space power?

How essential are satellite communications to defence? What is the difference between a military and a commercial satellite? And what are the UK's SATCOM capabilities right now? Neil Fraser, Director of Defence and Space Programmes at NSSL Global, talks to us about his extensive SATCOM experience, both in and out of uniform. We discuss the recently published UK Defence Space Strategy, Skynet 6 and why a mix of systems comes with greater resilience.