The Carter Administration also recognized that satellites already on-orbit are capable of being maneuvered to destroy satellites simply by physically colliding with them. The Reagan Administration also examined the feasibility of ASAT arms control and similarly recognized the difficulty, if not impossibility, in negotiating an effectively verifiable agreement that would be in the national security interest of the United States.

Also instructive is the experience of the Clinton Administration which declined to negotiate an agreement on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, commonly referred to as PAROS, in the UN Committee on Disarmament. The basis for the Clinton Administration's decision was that the existing outer space legal regime is sufficient and that there is no arms race in space that needs to be prevented, which by the way is also the current Administration's position. Thus, you could say that there has been a long standing realization that an effective space arms control agreement is unachievable.

Instead, we believe the existing treaty regime is sufficient. Central to this regime is the Outer Space Treaty, drafted almost 40 years ago. A quick look at some of the Treaty's key provisions shows that, with the advent of commercial space activities, this document has become even more applicable today than when it was first drafted. Encompassed within the Outer Space Treaty are the guiding principles for space operations by which all nations should conduct themselves.

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Joseph, Robert G. "Remarks on the President’s National Space Policy – Assuring America’s Vital Interests." . January 11, 2007.