Research
Space as a military domain is becoming increasingly important. Global powers are investing huge amounts of money into the development and construction of new (military) space assets and it seems as though we’re on the eve of a new ‘space race’. In a new HCSS snapshot, Patrick Bolder and Esther Chavannes shed light on the opportunities and challenges these military space developments go hand in hand with.
From observation and communication applications to weapon delivery, space will become indispensable to military operations. While major global powers are investing heavily in military space infrastructure and assets, societies’ dependency on space is also increasing rapidly.
Societies’ dependency on space and the prospect of space as the military domain of the future, raises questions which require answers. To be able to answer these, it is imperative to define how the military can use and protect space assets. At the same time, protection of our daily life on Earth – already highly dependent on accurate and unincumbered functioning of many space assets – requires careful consideration as well.