Surveillance Remains Most Pressing Space Control Need

摘要

The U.S. Defense Department has upgraded its ability to keep tabs on the orbital environment in recent years, but further improvement of U.S. space surveillance capabilities remains the most pressing need in efforts to protect military and commercial spacecraft from attack, a panel of experts said. Satellites on orbit today already are less vulnerable to attack due to improved U.S. space-surveillance capabilities, said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Richard Geraci, deputy director of the Pentagon's National Security Space Office. But U.S. access to space systems is by no means guaranteed, said retired U.S. Air Force general Howell Estes, a former commander of U.S. Space Command.