At present, there are very few rules of the road relating to space. The Bush administration has adopted a muscular national space policy, and Air Force doctrine now calls for the ability to project power in, through and from space. At the same time, the administration has refused to talk about rules that could impinge upon the military uses of space, claiming that this constitutes a slippery slope to limiting U.S. freedom of action. Administration officials also have asserted that there is no military space problem that needs to be discussed.

This last argument seems particularly unsound after the Chinese test. Diplomacy certainly has its limits, and is no substitute for military preparedness, but complete freedom of action can turn space into a shooting gallery to every nation’s detriment. Avoiding diplomatic engagement usually makes tough problems much worse, and puts Washington, not Beijing, in the doghouse. Increasing the safety of vital satellites is a topic worthy of discussion. Space, like military activities here on Earth, needs a code of conduct to promote responsible activities and to clarify irresponsible ones.

President Nixon authorized then-Navy Secretary John Warner to negotiate a code of conduct governing U.S.-Soviet naval operations. President George Herbert Walker Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to a similar code for ground forces operating in close proximity. President George W. Bush has endorsed codes of conduct to counter nuclear and missile proliferation. Rules of the road also make good sense for space, especially ones that prohibit using satellites as target practice.

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Katz-Hyman, Michael and Michael Krepon. "Irresponsible in Space." Defense News. February 5, 2007.