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Chandler, Howie. "Air, Space, and Cyberspace Strategy for the Pacific." Strategic Studies Quarterly. Vol. 2, No. 2 (Summer 2008): 9-21. [ 1 reference ]

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Growing Competition in Space becoming major Security Challenge for Asia-Pacific Region

 

Competition for access, use, and dominance in space is heating up. China clearly recognizes the United States’ dependence on space assets and is bolstering its counterspace capabilities. By testing an antisatellite (ASAT) weapon in January 2007, China demonstrated that it can threaten US space assets.

But the recent attention paid to Chinese space activities has concealed space proliferation activities across the Asia-Pacific region. For more than a year, headlines have indicated stepped-up space initiatives from a wide range of countries in the region. For example, South Korea announced plans to develop an indigenous space launch and sustainment capability, with $3.6 trillion earmarked for satellite and launch development over the next 10 years. In July 2007, Russia launched a German military recon­ naissance satellite into orbit. In December 2007, the Russian space force commander announced plans to launch a retransmitting satellite intended to collect and relay telemetry data on launch vehicle operations no later than 200. Shortly thereafter, in January 2008, India announced that it intends to collaborate with Russia for an unmanned lunar expedition that will employ a rover-type vehicle to collect and analyze soil, atmospheric, and rock samples. Also, India recently completed a contract to launch an Israeli advanced synthetic aperture radar imaging satellite from its Sri­ harikota Launching Range. And in February 2008, Russia announced plans to improve the accuracy of its Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) global positioning constellation by establishing ground- monitoring stations. The long-range plans aim at reducing errors from the current 10 meters to centimeters. Taken separately, each of these events portrays a robust effort on the part of several countries to expand their space capabilities. Viewed in the context of the Pacific region and through the lens of the increasingly crowded space domain, what today may not be a security challenge could likely become one of the defining challenges for the region in the near future.

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Chandler, Howie. "Air, Space, and Cyberspace Strategy for the Pacific." Strategic Studies Quarterly. Vol. 2, No. 2 (Summer 2008): 9-21. [ 1 reference ] [ page 12-13 ]

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