COVERY STORY Space protection: How far will America go to protect its satellites?

摘要

With the Bush presidency winding down and the possibility of a space race with China winding up, Congress has instructed the U.S. Defense Department to define the steps an American administration might have to take to protect U.S. satellites from lasers, jammers or other weapons. Congress wants the officials in charge of defending U.S. satellites -- meaning commercial, military and intelligence spacecraft -- to describe those options in a national strategy that would guide civilian decision makers in deliberations over which actions are appropriate. Congress also wants to avoid duplicative spending on devices that might make U.S. satellites hardier. Those defensive measures might include maneuvering systems, more radiation hardening or small secondary cameras to watch for swarms of microsatellites preparing to wage sneak attacks. New spy satellites could be equipped with better shutters, or "sunglasses" as one congressional staff member calls them, to prevent them from being blinded by lasers, which is a growing fear among U.S. intelligence officials.