Home > Bibliography > View Citation

View Citation


Zhang, Hui. "Space Weaponization and Space Security: A Chinese Perspective." China Security. Vol. 1, No. 2 (2006): 24-36. [ 5 quotes ]

Evidence Related to this Citation

U.S. Can Employ Technical Defensive Measures to Protect Satellites
 
There are technical approaches, which, if implemented unilaterally, could improve the survivability of space systems. The United States and others could, for example, harden or shield the most vulnerable parts of their satellites (such as the solar cells and the focal planes) against nuclear, laser, or other conventional attacks. In some cases (e.g. nuclear explosion), hardening satellites would be difficult but technically feasible. To avoid paralysis of a whole system, redundant capabilities could be made available for rapid replacement of satellites in orbit. Increased maneuverability, enhanced situational awareness, and improved stealth capability, would also make it easier to evade a hostile attack.
Zhang, Hui. "Space Weaponization and Space Security: A Chinese Perspective." China Security. Vol. 1, No. 2 (2006): 24-36. [ 5 quotes ] [ page 28 ]
Technical Fixes and Rules Unlikely to Suffice Without New Agreements
 
Furthermore, a number of measures could be taken to secure space assets by multilateral rules or agreements. Specific rules or agreements for space use might include, for example, “keep-out zones,” a non-interference rule for satellites, cooperation on reducing space debris, notification of space launch, development of safe traffic management procedures, and building a hotline between major missile and space powers. These “rules of the road” would be intended to reduce suspicion and encourage the orderly use of space. However, it should be noted that the above technical measures and rules, although important for reducing present risks, would not remove the implicit threat of ASAT attacks. A potential rule on “keep-out-zones” would not prohibit an attack by a space-based laser at long distance. Technical solutions are unlikely to suffice in the absence of strengthened international agreements on space activity. In addition, hardening satellites would be extremely costly, and potentially infeasible, in particular for civilian and commercial satellites. It would impair the operational flexibility of satellites.
Zhang, Hui. "Space Weaponization and Space Security: A Chinese Perspective." China Security. Vol. 1, No. 2 (2006): 24-36. [ 5 quotes ] [ page 28 ]
International Reaction to U.S. Space Weapons would Undermine Non-Proliferation
 
Despite the enormous cost of space-based weapon systems, they are vulnerable to a number of low-cost and relatively low-technology ASAT attacks including the use of ground-launched small kinetic-kill vehicles, pellet clouds or space mines. It is reasonable to believe that China and others could resort to these ASAT weapons to counter any U.S. space-based weapons. This, however, would lead to an arms race in space. To protect against the potential loss of its deterrent capability, China could potentially resort to enhancing its nuclear forces. Such a move could, in turn, encourage India and then Pakistan to follow suit. Furthermore, Russia has threatened to respond to any country’s deployment of space weapons. Moreover, constructing additional weapons would produce a need for more plutonium and highly enriched uranium to fuel those weapons. This impacts China’s participation in the fissile material cut-off treaty (FMCT). Eventually, failure to proceed with the nuclear disarmament process, to which the nuclear weapon states committed themselves under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, would damage the entire nuclear nonproliferation regime itself, which is already at the breaking point. As Hu Xiaodi, China’s ambassador for disarmament affairs, asked, “With lethal weapons flying overhead in orbit and disrupting global strategic stability, why should people eliminate weapons of mass destruction or missiles on the ground? This cannot but do harm to global peace, security and stability, and hence be detrimental to the fundamental interests of all States."
Zhang, Hui. "Space Weaponization and Space Security: A Chinese Perspective." China Security. Vol. 1, No. 2 (2006): 24-36. [ 5 quotes ] [ page 26-7 ]
Overall Costs of Space Weapons Outweigh the Benefits
 
The United States would likely find a focused approach more acceptable than a broad approach. While it bans space-based weapons and ASATs, the former would allow deployment of the GMD system that composes the central part of the Missile Defense Agency’s current budget and development efforts. In practice, as a number of studies show, there is no rationale for the U.S. to deploy space weapons and ASATs. For example, an enormously expensive space-based interceptor system for missile defense would be intrinsically vulnerable to a number of cost-effective ASAT attacks and be overwhelmed by the simultaneous launch of several missiles from a compact area. Moreover, the negative impacts of using space weapons for other military missions – protecting satellites, denying the hostile use of space to adversaries and projecting force – would far outweigh the benefits, since the utility of space weapons is limited by three main factors: high cost, considerable susceptibility to countermeasures, and the availability of cheaper, more effective alternatives.
Zhang, Hui. "Space Weaponization and Space Security: A Chinese Perspective." China Security. Vol. 1, No. 2 (2006): 24-36. [ 5 quotes ] [ page 32 ]
Weaponization of Outer Space will Pollute Space with Debris
 
Weaponizing space would further exacerbate current problems with space debris. Even worse, some scientists warn that if a number of satellites are destroyed in the course of a war, the Earth would be encased in a cloud of debris that would prevent future satellite stationing and space access. Given concerns over the space debris issue, senior scientists in China have emphasized that preventing environmental pollution should not only apply on Earth, but should also apply in outer space. As Xiangwan recently noted, "prevention of pollution in space should be put on an agenda and as time goes by, this problem will become increasingly obvious." He further states: "In preventing space pollution, the following two issues are worth noticing: space garbage and weaponization of space." "[W]eaponization of space is more dangerous than ordinary space garbage," since “it will seriously pollute space" and "it will threaten peace and stability on the Earth."
Zhang, Hui. "Space Weaponization and Space Security: A Chinese Perspective." China Security. Vol. 1, No. 2 (2006): 24-36. [ 5 quotes ] [ page 27 ]