The United States is a spacefaring nation––it operates some 200 military and civilian satellites with a combined value of $100 billion. As impressive as these statistics appear, they do not reflect the additional billions of dollars and millions of American lives influenced every day by space communication, navigation, weather, environmental, and national security satellites. Space is big business and is inseparable from U.S. economic strength. It attracts international attention and therefore diplomatic power. It is absolutely crucial to American military operations.

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Ziegler, David W. Safe Heavens: Military Strategy and Space Sanctuary Thought. Maxwell AFB, AL: USAF Air University, June 1997. [ 9 quotes ] [ page 7 ]