A third age in space? RUSI's 'New Directions in Missile Defence' conference

摘要

The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) held its 10th missile defence conference in London, 28-29 May 2009. While the emphasis was on terrestrial military activity, it was clear that space had become integral to such activity and that, beyond whatever moral objections might be made, the question of missile defence poses additional risks in terms of debris proliferation and traffic disruption. This report discusses the general issue with reference to conference speakers' presentations.