Outside Threats
In part one of Donald Trump Adds Space Force To Government, I mentioned how many of the satellites over the last several decades have been launched without adequate protection from opposing satellites or rogue nations in space. An example of this capability is from 2007 when China launched a ground-based missile to destroy one of its own decommissioned satellites. Ground-to-space weapons can destroy orbiting objects, and the collision of a missile with a satellite can have unforeseen ramifications in space. Orbiting debris, also known as space junk, can damage other hardware by accident.
In 1967, the Outer Space Treaty was signed by over 100 nations as a proclamation to use space as a peaceful laboratory. The treaty also stated that no country can launch nuclear weapons in space towards Earth or any celestial bodies. Newer treaties have been drafted by other nations, such as The Treaty of Prevention of The Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and The Threat or Use of Force Against Outer Space Objects. In 2008, the U.S. rejected the bill, and again in 2014, saying that the bill never mentions ground-to-space weapons. In some of the latest developments, military personnel are concerned that China and Russia will be able to shoot down our satellites in 2 to 3 years. That’s the public report. Didn’t China already shoot down their own satellite in 2007? Why can’t they shoot it down now?
Intelligence Risk Assessment
According to the document “Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence,” space and counter-space are of huge concern. As described above, space satellites gathering data are vulnerable. Military intelligence calls warfare against them anti-satellite technology (ASAT). The report describes electronic warfare against space systems, jamming techniques against (SATCOM), SAR, and GPS. Russian lawmakers have promoted intelligence gathering on missiles that can destroy low-orbiting Earth satellites. This weapon has been in testing, and China likely has technology in its arsenal as well. Directed energy weapons are being tested to use as damaging or blinding agents against space-based optical sensors. There are a lot of theories about directed energy weapons, including fires and weather warfare.
One can see that the risk around the world in every facet of life is growing by exponents. By developing these technologies to defend against one threat, it opens up the door to a new wave of technology, that allows other countries to gain an advantage over the original advancement in defense, and so on goes the cycle. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, originally was against the move towards a Space Force but over the last several weeks has decided to move forward with this department.
Space Force Organization
You might be wondering what the timeline is for the creation of this department and as of now, President Trump’s 2019 budget will call on Congress for the resources to stand up the Space Force by 2020. In 2019, the aim is to have Congress enact the statutory authority for the Space Force in the National Defense Authorization Act. The spending request would setup a separate budget for the Space Force and set the framework for the agencies that would make up the newly created department. Organizationally, the layout within the department would include: U.S. Space Command, Space Operations Force, and a Space Development Agency.
The Department of Defense will setup the Space Command first which will, “establish unified command and control for our Space Force operations, ensure integration across the military, and develop the space war-fighting doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures of the future.” Once the procedural portions of the Space Command are setup, then the Space Operations Force will be developed through acquiring space experts and experienced war fighters. Finally, the Space Development Agency will be ready for operation, once the guidelines are setup from Space Command and the personnel are in place from the Space Operations Force. The Space Development Agency will need the framework and experts from the other agencies to keep the Space Force fully updated with the latest technologies. Physicists, engineers, and military personnel will be heavily involved in research and development of the secrets of the universe.
What Do You Believe?
Which reason do you believe is the reason for the push towards the 6th branch of government? Is it to mine the moon for resources? Is this to help silo some of the inflated currency we use? What if it is to finally release some of the Top Secret technologies that have been hidden away for decades? Is it for the threat against us from foreign actors?
Cheers,
Colin