In 1967 the world witnessed the signing of the Outer Space Treaty, and now over 100 countries have joined the international agreement to declare space as "the province of all mankind," to be used "exclusively for peaceful purposes", and kept free of weapons and military installations. This idealism is a far cry from current reality, with US officials espousing values of domination and exclusive advantages to be maintained in space, while other countries are blowing satellites out of the sky with missiles to prove themselves mighty "space powers." Will we ever reclaim space as the peaceful province of all mankind, or will the road to Donald J. Kessler's infamous scenario be paved with neutral particle beams, lasers, nano-satellite swarms, machine-gun mounted satellites, and giant tungsten rods?

full transcript available

Subscribe now on: iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Spotify | RSS | or search "Ashes Ashes" on your favorite podcast app.

Chapters

03:46 Space Opera

08:05 Beams, Bombs, and Rods from God

15:35 Two Visions for Space

24:33 Space Force and the Drive to Dominate

27:55 Neighbors and Rockets

40:22 Satellite-Killers

52:29 What Choice?

Sources

@misc{Adamson_2018, title={Russia Suspected Of Launching Secret Space Weapon Into Orbit}, url={https://www.techtimes.com/articles/236034/20181205/russia-suspected-of-launching-secret-space-weapon-into-orbit.htm}, journal={Tech Times}, author={Adamson, Allan}, year={2018}, month={Dec} } @misc{Alex Hollings_2018a, title={Russia threatens to “strongly retaliate” if US establishes Space Force -- forgets they already have their own}, url={https://thenewsrep.com/104876/russia-threatens-to-strongly-retaliate-if-us-establishes-space-force-forgets-they-already-have-their-own/}, journal={NEWSREP}, author={Alex Hollings}, year={2018}, month={Jun} } @misc{Alex Hollings_2018b, title={Russia’s ‘inspector’ satellites are likely weapons — here’s why it’s hard to be sure}, url={https://fightersweep.com/11014/russias-inspector-satellites-are-likely-weapons-heres-why-its-hard-to-be-sure/}, journal={Fighter Sweep}, author={Alex Hollings}, year={2018}, month={Dec} } @misc{Arquilla_2006, title={Rods from God}, url={https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/RODS-FROM-GOD-Imagine-a-bundle-of-telephone-2539690.php}, journal={SFGate}, author={Arquilla, John}, year={2006}, month={Mar} } @misc{Axe_2019, title={The U.S. Air Force’s Secret X-37B Space Plane: A War Machine?}, url={https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/us-air-forces-secret-x-37b-space-plane-war-machine-69861}, journal={The National Interest}, author={Axe, David}, year={2019}, month={Jul} } @misc{Berger_2019a, title={India shoots down a weather satellite, declares itself a “space power”}, url={https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/03/india-shoots-down-a-weather-satellite-declares-itself-a-space-power/}, journal={Ars Technica}, author={Berger, Eric}, year={2019}, month={Mar} } @misc{Berger_2019b, title={To protect its satellites, France outlines ambitious space-weapons program}, url={https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/07/france-says-it-will-create-its-own-space-based-weapons-program/}, journal={Ars Technica}, author={Berger, Eric}, year={2019}, month={Jul} } @misc{Bill Gertz_2016, title={Russia has conducted the fifth test of a new anti-satellite weapon that could knock out US communications}, url={https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-conducted-test-anti-satellite-weapon-2016-12}, journal={Business Insider}, author={Bill Gertz}, year={2016}, month={Dec} } @misc{Blake Stilwell_2017, title={These Air Force “rods from god” could hit with the force of a nuclear weapon}, url={https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/these-air-force-rods-from-god-could-hit-with-the-force-of-a-nuclear-weapon}, journal={We Are the Mighty}, author={Blake Stilwell}, year={2017}, month={Sep} } @misc{Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation_1977, title={Environmental Modification Convention}, url={https://2009-2017.state.gov/t/isn/4783.htm}, journal={U.S. Department of State}, author={Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation}, year={1977}, month={May} } @misc{Chrisafis_2018, title={“Act of espionage”: France accuses Russia of trying to spy on satellite data}, url={https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/07/france-accuses-russia-spying-satellite-communications-espionage}, journal={The Guardian}, author={Chrisafis, Angelique}, year={2018}, month={Sep} } @misc{Colin Dwyer_2019, title={White House Hopes Revived Space Command Is One Giant Leap Toward Proposed Space Force}, url={https://www.npr.org/2019/08/29/755383671/white-house-hopes-revived-space-command-is-one-giant-leap-toward-proposed-space-}, journal={NPR}, author={Colin Dwyer}, year={2019}, month={Aug} } @article{David C DeFrieze_2014, title={Defining and Regulating the Weaponization of Space}, number={74}, journal={Joint Force Quarterly}, author={David C DeFrieze}, year={2014}, pages={6} } @article{Department of the Air Force_2003, title={2003 U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan}, url={https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=}, journal={Future Concepts and Transformation Division}, author={Department of the Air Force}, year={2003}, month={Oct} } @misc{Doward_2017, title={The new rulebook for real-life star wars}, url={https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/may/20/star-wars-first-rules-manual-military-in-space-laws}, journal={The Observer}, author={Doward, Jamie}, year={2017}, month={May} } @misc{Dunietz_2017, title={Floating Treasure: Space Law Needs to Catch Up with Asteroid Mining}, url={https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/floating-treasure-space-law-needs-to-catch-up-with-asteroid-mining/}, abstractNote={A number of companies are getting closer to extracting resources from space rocks}, journal={Scientific American}, author={Dunietz, Jesse}, year={2017}, month={Aug} } @misc{Feldscher_2019, title={Trump establishes new military Space Command}, url={https://politi.co/2ZDDK5M}, journal={Politico}, author={Feldscher, Jacqueline}, year={2019}, month={Aug} } @misc{Geoff Brumfiel_2019, title={Iranian Rocket Launch Ends In Failure, Imagery Shows}, url={https://www.npr.org/2019/08/29/755406765/iranian-rocket-launch-ends-in-failure-images-show}, journal={NPR}, author={Geoff Brumfiel}, year={2019}, month={Aug} } @misc{Geoff Manaugh_2016, title={Tracking Earth’s Secret Spy Satellites - The Atlantic}, url={https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/06/mapping-clandestine-moons/485915/}, journal={The Atlantic}, author={Geoff Manaugh}, year={2016}, month={Jun} } @misc{Justin Bachman_2018, title={Why Space Desperately Needs a Traffic Cop}, url={https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-10/why-low-earth-orbit-desperately-needs-a-traffic-cop}, journal={Bloomberg}, author={Justin Bachman}, year={2018}, month={May} } @misc{Longwell_2018, title={State Department concerned over Russian satellite’s behavior}, url={https://www.c4isrnet.com/c2-comms/satellites/2018/08/14/state-department-concerned-over-russian-satellites-behavior/}, journal={C4ISRNET}, author={Longwell, Maddy}, year={2018}, month={Aug} } @misc{Mack_2019, title={Trump’s Space Force: Everything you need to know}, url={https://www.cnet.com/news/donald-trump-space-force-everything-you-need-to-know/}, journal={CNET}, author={Mack, Eric}, year={2019}, month={Aug} } @misc{Mary Beth Griggs_2018, title={Meet the amateur astronomers who track secretive spy satellites for fun | Popular Science}, url={https://www.popsci.com/zuma-spy-satellite-amateur-astronomer/}, journal={Popular Science}, author={Mary Beth Griggs}, year={2018}, month={Jan} } @misc{Maynard_2014, title={Is Russia’s New Orbiter a Satellite-Killer?}, url={https://www.techtimes.com/articles/20487/20141118/russias-new-orbiter-satellite-killer.htm}, abstractNote={Object 2014-28E could be a new space weapon, capable of destroying satellites high above Earth, and anyone can track the object in real time.}, journal={Tech Times}, author={Maynard, James}, year={2014}, month={Nov} } @misc{Michael Sheetz_Amanda Macias_2019, title={China and Russia are militarizing space with “energy weapons” and anti-satellite missiles: Pentagon}, url={https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/13/pentagon-warns-of-weaponization-of-space-by-china-russia-report.html}, journal={CNBC}, author={Michael Sheetz and Amanda Macias}, year={2019}, month={Feb} } @misc{Mike Wall_2017, title={X-37B: The Air Force’s Mysterious Space Plane}, url={https://www.space.com/25275-x37b-space-plane.html}, journal={Space.com}, author={Mike Wall}, year={2017}, month={Jun} } @misc{MILAMOS_2019, title={Manual on International Law Applicable to Military Uses of Outer Space}, url={https://www.mcgill.ca/milamos/}, journal={McGill}, author={MILAMOS}, year={2019} } @article{NTI_2017, title={Proposed Prevention of an Arms Race in Space (PAROS) Treaty}, url={https://www.nti.org/learn/treaties-and-regimes/proposed-prevention-arms-race-space-paros-treaty/}, journal={Conference on Disarmament}, author={NTI}, year={2017}, month={Sep} } @misc{Oduntan_2015, title={Who owns space? US asteroid-mining act is dangerous and potentially illegal}, url={http://theconversation.com/who-owns-space-us-asteroid-mining-act-is-dangerous-and-potentially-illegal-51073}, journal={The Conversation}, author={Oduntan, Gbenga}, year={2015}, month={Nov} } @misc{Patrick Tucker_2019, title={Pentagon Wants to Test A Space-Based Weapon in 2023}, url={https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2019/03/pentagon-wants-test-space-based-weapon-2023/155581/}, journal={Defense One}, author={Patrick Tucker}, year={2019}, month={Mar} } @misc{Peck_2019, title={The U.S. Military Wants to Zap Missiles With A Particle Beam}, url={https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/us-military-wants-zap-missiles-particle-beam-61257}, journal={The National Interest}, author={Peck, Michael}, year={2019}, month={Jun} } @misc{Philip Yiannopoulos_2018, title={This week, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty gets a makeover at the UN}, url={https://www.fastcompany.com/90240304/inside-the-epic-debate-on-rethinking-our-50-year-old-outer-space-treaty}, author={Philip Yiannopoulos}, year={2018}, month={Sep} } @misc{Phillip Swarts_2017, title={On-orbit operations the next frontier for space, experts say}, url={https://spacenews.com/on-orbit-operations-the-next-frontier-for-space-experts-say/}, journal={Space News}, author={Phillip Swarts}, year={2017}, month={Jul} } @misc{Samantha Raphelson_2018, title={Trump Hints At Plan To Create “Space Force” As Sixth Military Branch}, url={https://www.npr.org/2018/05/21/613017475/trump-hints-at-plan-to-create-space-force-as-sixth-military-branch}, journal={NPR}, author={Samantha Raphelson}, year={2018}, month={May} } @misc{Sandra Erwin_2019, title={Raymond: U.S. Space Command needs satellites to be built fast, to be survivable}, url={https://spacenews.com/raymond-u-s-space-command-needs-satellites-to-be-built-fast-to-be-survivable/}, journal={Space News}, author={Sandra Erwin}, year={2019}, month={Sep} } @misc{Smith-Strickland_2016, title={What’s the X-37 Doing Up There?}, url={https://www.airspacemag.com/space/spaceplane-x-37-180957777/}, journal={Air & Space Magazine}, author={Smith-Strickland, Kiona}, year={2016}, month={Feb} } @misc{Stephens_Blake_2017, title={We’re drafting a legal guide to war in space. Hopefully we’ll never need to use it}, url={http://theconversation.com/were-drafting-a-legal-guide-to-war-in-space-hopefully-well-never-need-to-use-it-86677}, journal={The Conversation}, author={Stephens, Dale and Blake, Duncan}, year={2017}, month={Nov} } @misc{United Nations_1966, title={Outer Space Treaty}, url={http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/outerspacetreaty.html}, author={United Nations}, year={1966} } @misc{Vine_2015, title={Where in the World Is the U.S. Military?}, url={https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/06/us-military-bases-around-the-world-119321.html}, journal={POLITICO Magazine}, author={Vine, David}, year={2015}, month={Aug} } @misc{Yiannopoulos_2018, title={Inside the epic debate on rethinking our 50-year-old Outer Space Treaty}, url={https://www.fastcompany.com/90240304/inside-the-epic-debate-on-rethinking-our-50-year-old-outer-space-treaty}, journal={Fast Company}, author={Yiannopoulos, Philip}, year={2018}, month={Sep} } @misc{Zhang_2015, title={Amateur Satellite Trackers Found the Secret X-37B Space Plane in Orbit}, url={https://gizmodo.com/amateur-satellite-trackers-found-the-armys-secret-space-1707305408}, journal={Gizmodo}, author={Zhang, Sarah}, year={2015}, month={May} }

Published 19-09-2019 01:37