Space security is moving from a narrow arms control issue to a central policy issue, as dependence on satellites deepens, and the tools for their violation are proliferating, says the new report of the "Safe World" Foundation (SWF).
For reference: The Secure World Foundation is a private, non-profit think tank, engaged in the promotion of peace, sustainable and safe use of outer space. SWF works with governments, industry and international organizations for policy development, aimed at reducing space debris and preventing conflicts in space.
SWF's annual report shows, that interference with space systems now carries immediate military implications, economic and political consequences. At the same time, more and more countries are deploying the technology, able to violate, impair or disable satellites. The report classifies counterspace capabilities into five categories: direct ascent kinetic weapon (example, ground-launched missiles); co-orbital systems, which maneuver near other satellites; Eelectronic fighting, including jamming and spoofing; systems of directed energy, such as lasers; and cyber capabilities.
Over the past decade, governments' concerns about dependence on vulnerable space infrastructure and the proliferation of capabilities, which can violate it, significantly increased. This dynamic brought space into the mainstream of defense planning, and some countries are openly discussing the prospect of doing so, that future conflicts on Earth may spill over into orbit.
Discussion of space countermeasures technologies in previous years focused mainly on the United States, China and Russia. Recent SWF analysis highlights a wider range of actors. A growing number of countries are investing in technology, which support space security missions, including electronic warfare systems, cyber tools and satellites, able to maneuver in orbit. These capabilities are usually positioned as defensive, designed to protect national assets and improve awareness of space activities, but they also serve as a deterrent, signaling the ability to respond to intervention.
The report also points to a growing interest in more advanced systems, including reusable spacecraft and so-called "guardian satellites". The US military X-37B space plane set the standard for space aircraft, having demonstrated long-duration missions with the ability to carry a payload and return to Earth for reuse. China has made several flights of its experimental space plane, which indicates the development of a similar possibility. India, France and Germany are also working on similar concepts. Separately, several countries are developing satellites, designed to work at a close distance from high-cost spacecraft. They are often called "guardians"; these systems are based on docking technologies and convergence operations, originally designed for service and inspection. Japan and Germany are among those, who is working on such opportunities, which can be used to monitor nearby facilities or complicate access to sensitive assets.
These trends highlight the desire of countries to be sustainable, maneuverable and dual-purpose systems in orbit, which blur the line between defensive measures and potential counterspace operations.
Source: https://spacenews.com