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 This sage advice written by Suen Wuu for King Herlu around 510 B.C. holds true
today, although he could barely have imagined the tools that his decendents,
some twenty five centuries removed, would employ in gaining information. Where
espionage was once solely carried out in the first person, it is now assisted
and frequently replaced by advanced technologies. Survailance satellites can
now discern a deck of cards from Earth orbit. The nations of the world are
rapidly advancing, both socially and technologically. In such a world, the
vital strategic potential of space must be recognized. Not only do the heavens
provide a lofty perch from which we can monitor our neighbors, it must also be
used for communication satellites and the military and commercial purposes that
are essential to U.S. security interests.
On October 4, 1957 the Space Race began. It was on this date that the Soviet
Union launched the 184 pound Sputnik satellite into space. In the nearly 40
years following the first successful space launch, both the United States and
the Soviet Union, and more recently Europe, have been the primary users of
space. Now all developed countries are rushing to put payloads into orbit.
While the manned space programs have been the most visible and exciting aspects
of this competition, the United States has become increasingly dependent on
space based systems for command, control and communications. Space based
systems provide reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, early warning of
missile launches and treaty verification information that has become
invaluable. Without a reliable network of satellites, the U.S. forces would be
essentially deaf, dumb and blind on a global scale.
The recent summit between President Clinton and Boris Yeltsin affirmed a
commitment to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The position that the
President has taken can significantly limit the ability of the United States to
defend itself from missile attack because it precludes the deployment of any
theater missile defense system which may also pose a realistic threat to the
strategic nuclear force of the other side. The high ground of space is the best
and most logical position from which to monitor and respond to threats to the
strategic interests of the United States. It is now more likely that the major
powers will be threatened by terrorists than by other superpowers. It is
important to adapt and develop space based systems that will augment our
ability to defend against such new threats and the establishment of missile and
other defensive systems in space should not be limited.
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Many sensitive nations, including the Russian republics, now have access to
nuclear technology and in some cases nuclear weapons. It is vital to the
interests of our country that an active program be in place to monitor
technology transfer and the actual location and amount of special nuclear
material. Various new technologies exist to track nuclear material and
associated parts, including satellite surveillance systems and the C3 systems
necessary to coordinate such an effort.
From an economic point of view, it is vital to get the commercial sector
involved in space launches. The U.S. space program and the ability to deliver
payloads to space is important to the U.S. Government as well as universities
and industry. Non-military satellites serve an important role in providing
vital communication links, tracking weather systems and scientific studies of
our planet. Programs like the manned space station and the space plane will
help to ensure a rich research environment in space, which will have a direct
impact on the technological and economic position of the United States. As
access to space becomes more available, meaning less expensive and more
prolific launch schedules, the commercial sector will exploit this opportunity
and the positive effects on our economy will be far reaching. To do this, the
Government should give an incentive to private launch organizations. The
emphasis should be shifted from such strong reliance on the space shuttle, and
the United States should re-establish a vigorous launch capability that
includes unmanned and expendable launch vehicles. This is necessary in order to
drive down costs and ensure that strategically important payloads make it into
orbit on a realistic timetable. Systems such as the Saturn V rocket, which
launched men into space and to the moon, can be an important part of this
program.
The United States should do everything it can to maintain and strengthen it's
technological leadership in space development and exploration. Budgetary
constraints demand that programs be streamlined and certain missions must be
postponed. However, the immediate needs of space based defensive systems and
intelligence gathering systems should not be neglected. U.S. space policy as we
enter the next century is vital in determining where we will stand in regards
to science, commerce and defense at the end of the next century.
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