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International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation |
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A young, slim woman presented slides about her employer. "Space control can be thought of as protecting and monitoring our space resources. Space surveillance is a critical element of the space control mission and will be vitally important to support future theater military operations and assure availability of U.S. space forces."1
The young lady is a public relations officer with the U.S. Air Force. She works for the 21st Space Wing at the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado/USA, which "is a part of the United States Space Command under Air Force Space Command".2 Courageously, she followed an invitation of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space to present her unit at the annual meeting which was held in Colorado Springs on April 7-9, 1998.
Guardians of the High Frontier3
One important field of activity of the 21st Space Wing is to "track, catalog and detect over 10,000 items around the Earth. ... Tracking and cataloging Earth orbiting objects is essential to prevent collisions during Space Shuttle missions. With more and more launches of military and civilian satellites, the catalog continues to grow."4 This activity is closely related to the main tasks of the unit. "The 21st Space Wing has two very important space operation missions - missile warning and space control. ... The space surveillance aspect of the space control mission allows the U.S. to maintain and dominate the `high ground'. ... Space control is evolving into space superiority to ensure the safe and free use of space by our forces and allies. ... The control of air and space is critical because it allows all U.S. forces freedom from attack and freedom to attack. ... We cannot allow space to be controlled by our adversaries. ... Team 21, first place in space. Dominating the high ground!"5
This declaration is in full conformity with the overall space policy of the U.S. military. "Space has often been referred to as `the high ground', in the sense of giving its occupier a dominating view (and prospective control) of a potential battlefield."6 "Space forces play an increasingly important role in prosecuting modern warfare. They provide global and battlefield surveillance, ballistic missile warning, precise navigation, secure communications, weather, and intelligence information. Space assets facilitate effective command and control and enhance the joint utilization of our land, sea, and air forces."7
In its glossy publication "Vision for 2020", the US Space Command sets the stage for military engagement in space. The motto: "US Space Command - dominating the space dimension of military operations to protect US interests and investment. Integrating Space Forces into warfighting capabilities across the full spectrum of conflict."8
The Space Command draws historical parallels: "Historically, military forces have evolved to protect national interests and investments - both military and economic. During the rise of sea commerce, nations built navies to protect and enhance their commercial interests. During the westward expansion of the continental United States, military outposts and the cavalry emerged to protect our wagon trains, settlements, and railroads. As air power developed, its primary purpose was to support and enhance land and sea operations. However, over time, air power evolved into a separate and equal medium of warfare. The emergence of space power follows both of these models. Over the past several decades, space power has primarily supported land, sea, and air operations -strategically and operationally. During the early portion of the 21st century, space power will also evolve into a separate and equal medium of warfare. Likewise, space forces will emerge to protect military and commercial national interests and investment in the space medium due to their increasing importance."9
No doubt: in addition to supporting Earth-based armed forces, protecting commercial space activities __ i.e. telecommunication and remote sensing satellites, industrial enterprises who want to `mine the sky', visions for space-based colonies, etc. __ serve as a justification to enforce U.S. dominance in space. "The political, economic, technological, and military trends hold significant implications for USSPACECOM. An increased dependence upon space capabilities may lead to increased vulnerabilities. As space systems become lucrative military targets, there will be a critical need to control the space medium to ensure US dominance on the future battlefields. ... Control of Space is the ability to assure access to space, freedom of operations within the space medium, and an ability to deny others the use of space, if required. ... Global Engagement is the application of precision force from, to, and through space."10
Just a few months ago, the US Space Command finalized its Long Range Plan (LRP). The plan "captures in one place a comprehensive roadmap for achieving our vision for 2020. ... It is our roadmap to prepare ourselves to not only do today's job in military space better, but to plan for 2020's challenges".11 The LRP repeats the importance of protecting the national assets, to counter "... the nation's dependence on space capabilities in the 21st Century which rivals its dependence on electricity and oil in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Electricity and oil were critical parts of the industrial revolution; space capabilities (e.g. communications, positioning and timing, imaging, earth resource monitoring, and weather) are emerging as vital to the infomation revolution. ... US interests and investments in space must be fully protected to ensure our nation's freedom of action in space."12
The military-industrial connection
Colorado Springs plays a major role in the preparation of military space activites. In addition to the US Space Command headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, it also houses the United States Air Force Academy which is routinely attended by all U.S. Air Force officers. Therefore, the town on the edge of the Rocky Mountains is the ideal setting for the annual US Space Foundation's National Space Symposium held on April 7-10, 1998, in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor Hotel.13 Traditionally, the conference is attended by representatives from space organizations, the armed forces, and commercial companies. In parallel to the conference, many companies exhibit space war technologies at an industrial fair in the hotel premises. This year's conference motto was "The Global Relevance of Space: Civil, Commercial and Military."
And industry responds to military demands. On its large poster "Revolutionizing Airpower for the 21st Century"14, Boeing presents the Airborne Laser (ABL), a joint project by the U.S. Air Force, Boeing, TRW and Lockheed Martin. In the section "The Threat is Real and Growing", the poster lists seemingly dangerous proliferators like Romania, Bulgaria, and the Slovak Republic. The publication is not a leftover from the Cold War - it was published in 1997...
Development of a Space Based Laser (SBL) seems like a logical step ahead. At the 1998 National Space Symposium, TRW proudly announced that together with Boeing it won a $10 million study contract "to define concepts for a Space-Based Laser Readiness Demonstrator (SBLRD). Funded by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organisation, the contract follows more than 15 years of TRW work developing technologies for BMDO-sponsored space-based laser initiatives. ... SBLRD is intended to demonstrate the technical feasibility of using a space-based laser system to intercept and destroy theater ballistic missiles in their boost phase."15 (The boost phase is of particular interest for any ballistic missile defense as engaging targets over enemy territory would release all debris - be it conventional, biological, chemical, or nuclear - close to the launch area, i.e. hopefully over enemy territory.)
At a press conference, TRW officials stressed the fact that the SBL will be designed to protect against theater ballistic missiles and would therefore respect the restrictions imposed by the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty. However, the technical borderline to intercepting strategic ballistic missiles is very thin. Article V(1) of the ABM Treaty states: "Each party undertakes not to develop, test, or deploy ABM systems or components which are sea-based, air-based, space-based, or mobile land-based."16 According to Article II of the ABM Treaty, an ABM system is defined as "a system to counter strategic ballistic missiles or their elements in flight trajectory".17 In 1997, President Clinton and President Yeltsin affirmed that they are "recognizing the fundamental significance of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty" and "consider it their common task to preserve the ABM Treaty, prevent circumvention of it, and enhance its viability."18
The Ballistic Missile Defense Organisation (BMDO) which funds the SBLRD study is the successor of the Strategic Defense Initiative Organisation (SDIO). SDI was the result of Ronald Reagan's now famous `Star Wars' speech delivered on March 12, 1983. The program was heavily disputed during the 1980s. With the end of the Cold War, Star Wars ceased to be an issue for public debate and lost its public visibility. However, the program continued and with the election of President Clinton it shifted from National Missile Defense to Theater Missile Defense (TMD). Within one year of his taking office in 1993, the emphasis on TMD was fully implemented.19 The FY 1998 budget for BMDO amounted to $3,554 billion.20 This does not yet include funding of the armed land, sea, and air forces' space activities. Combined, these budgets are no smaller than the SDIO budgets of the 1980s.
Demanding peaceful use of space
From all said above, it is obvious that the date - concurrent to the National Space Symposium - and location - Colorado Springs - of the annual meeting of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space were carefully chosen. Colorado Springs proofed ideal to gather information as well as to voice protest.
Organized by the local Citizens for Peace in Space, the meeting was attended by members and employees of several dozen peace organizations from the US and from Europe, among them Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice, American Friends Service Comittee, Menwith Hill Peace Camp, Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy, Yorkshire CND, and many more. The attendants used the meeting to discuss many aspects of militarization and nuclearization of space. Due to its technological, military, and financial dominance, US space activities were often at the center of the discussion.
Eleven workshops and many lectures covered a wide range of issues such as international law, nuclear energy for space missions, dominance of the US Space Command, surveillance and reconnaissance, NASA's Cassini mission to planet Saturn with its payload of 32 kg plutonium, spy satellites, British protests against the U.S. spy station at Menwith Hill, and many more. The unannounced visit of some peace activists to the US Space Command facility at Peterson Air Force Base eventually resulted in the presentation of the 21st Space Wing mentioned at the beginning of this article. At a vigil at the Broadmoor Hotel, the meeting participants protested against the National Space Symposium's intention "to enhance and expand the integration of civil, commercial and military space efforts within a global context."21
An exciting lecture by physics professor Michio Kaku who delivered his thoughts with biting irony was certainly a meeting highlight. Ved Nanda from the University of Denver Law School acquainted the audience with space-relevant sections of the international law and the contents of the Outer Space Treaty. An evening event with British peace activist Helen Johns who has been participating in a women's protest camp at Menwith Hill spy station for more than 1 1/2 years gave insight into European protest against US space dominance. A delightful evening of theater, satire, songs, and other (political) entertainment concluded the meeting with a lighter note.
An involuntary humorous touch was introduced by police officers who attempted to attend the meeting incognito. This came not as a surprise to the Global Network members as space policy and abuse of space technologies by intelligence agencies was a matter of concern at the meeting.
Besides workshops and lectures, the Global Network meeting offered amble time for the network's Business Meeting. The following decisions were taken:
Michio Kaku speaking at the Global Network Meeting in Colorado Spriings
References
1. Script for overhead presentation given by a public relations officer of the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado/USA, on April 9, 1998
2. ibid.
3. Air Force Space Command, "Guardians of the High Frontier", leaflet published by US SPACECOM, Peterson Air Force Base, no date
4. ibid.
5. ibid.
6. Department of Defense, "Space Program. An Executive Overview for FY 1998 -2003", March 1997; http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/sp97/index.html
7. "National Military Strategy of the United States of America", 1995; as quoted in "Space Program", op.cit.
8. United States Space Command, "Vision for 2020". Peterson Air Force Base, 2nd Printing, August 1997
9. ibid.
10. ibid.
11. US Space Command, "Long Range Plan. Implementing USSPACECOM Vision for 2020", printed March 1998; posted on the Internet at http://131.15.144.52/usspace/LRP/intro.htm
12. ibid.
13. The British peace activists pointed out that in England, `Broadmoor' houses an institution to keep particularly dangerous, mentally ill patients.
14. Boeing/Team ABL, "Revolutionizing Airpower for the 21st Century", Seattle, WA/USA, printed April 1997
15. TRW, "TRW-led Team SBL Awarded $10 Million Space Laser Contract", company presss release dated March 17, 1998; http://www.businesswire.com/trw/bw.031798.htm
16. "Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems", signed in Moscow/USSR on May 26, 1972; http://www.acda.gov/treaties/abm2.htm
17. ibid.
18. The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, "Joint Statement Concerning the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty", released in Helsinki/Finland on March 21, 1997; http://www.usis.usemb.se/press/baltic/ANTI-BALLISTIC.HTM
19. Terry Roach and Mick Blackledge, "A History of the SDIO and BMDO", no date (1997?); http://tsi.simplenet.com/tsihtml/claris1.html
20. US Congress and Senate, "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998", Report 105-29, June 1997; http://www.fas.org/man/congress/1997/s105-29.htm
21. Conference announcement of US Space Foundation; wysiwyg:/83/http://www.space-news.com/scal.htm
Regina Hagen is a freelance technical translator and member of the German grassroots group Darmstädter Friedensforum. Address: Regina Hagen, Teichhausstrasse 46, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany; tel +49-6151-47114, fax 47105;
e-mail: regina.hagen@jugendstil.da. shuttle.de.
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