2008: the next space odyssey

Only the really naive, however, would refuse to acknowledge the real feat that the US military has been able to accomplish. With this missile strike the US has categorically signalled that its missile defences can be used to counter strategic anti-satellite weapons. An interceptor designed for missile defence was used for the first time to attack a satellite, demonstrating how the emerging missile defence arsenal could be reprogrammed to counter an unexpected threat. This will no doubt strengthen the hands of the supporters of the missile defence system in which the US has already invested more than $57 billion.

It is also instructive that this strike by the US comes days after China and Russia proposed a global pact banning weapons in space as well as rising Russian opposition to the US placement of missile defence interceptors in Eastern Europe. The US has opposed this treaty arguing that the proposed draft is largely directed only at the US military technology as it allows China and Russia to fire ground-based missiles into space or use satellites as weapons of war. There is also reluctance on the part of China and Russia on clearly defining a space weapon as they too want to keep their options open.

The present US administration has tacitly asserted the US right to space weapons and continued to oppose measures restricting them. Any arms control regime in outer space would constrain US military options.

... contd.