ASTRO WARS

摘要

Military-related space initiatives have taken on a new dynamic over the past few years, with France disclosing a space command, including plans to launch satellites equipped with lasers and machine guns by 2030, and former President Trump founding the US Space Force (USSF) to ramp up the US military's space capabilities. Meanwhile, the UK has announced its own new space targeted command, while countries like China, Russia and India are all enhancing their capabilities, including, most critically, in the anti-satellite field. There is the clanger that in future space will come to resemble a battleground rather than a new frontier where peaceful co-operation and economic development are the order of the day. With even more players on board compared to the old bi-polar Cold War days, the multidimensional nature of 21st century rivalries has, without cool heads, the potential to ramp up the danger of a confrontation and miscalculation in this critical domain. To put things into context, there are already around 400 military or dual-use satellites orbiting earth with many more planned for near earth and cislunar space (the volume of space in the moon's orbit).