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RuleSpace?
by Ronald S. Toth
Experts warn: "He who rules space will rule the earth!" Ironically, the
one who
actually
rules space today will rule the earth tomorrow.
T
HINK
of it! A few years
ago no one serious ly
thought of outer space
as a new line of military
defense.
Now it is big news, especially
with the publicity surrounding
the United States' plan for a
"Strategic Defense l nitiat ive,"
popularly referred to, especially
by its critics, as t he "Star
Wars" system.
Outer space, it was thought,
would remain free from weapons,
whether defensive or offensive.
Mankind could safely explore, dis–
cover and someday colonize the
heavens.
Scientific secrs told us of the
potential benefits of space explora–
tion to humankind: Orbiting space
stations would provide an environ–
ment for developing improved vac–
cines and otber biological products
of higher quality and purity than
can be achieved on earth. Following
closely would be spacc industriali–
zation. Then the const ruction of
space platforms servi ng as launch–
ing and docking facilities for trips
into deep space.
Then space colonization, first of
the moon, then possibly Mars. Our
scientific seers said- and most
pcople believed- the exploration of
space would transccnd power strug–
gles on earth.
But the prospects of orbiting spy
stations, antisatellite weapons and
2
particle beams have changed all
that.
Gone are the dreams that
through cooperative effort the
United States and the Soviet Union
would en hance the prospects of
space exploration. That by contin–
ued togetherness, a mutual trust
would develop.
Just as the airplane opened the
skies to warfare, space exploration
makes possible thc birth of a whole
new generation of weaponry.
Unti l now , space weapons
remained relatively hidden in
articles appearing in technical jour–
nals, not widely rcad by the general
public. The person on the street, if
asked, seemed blissfully unaware of
potential systems of war circling
overhead.
As most today only now realize,
outer space
never
had a speciaJ sta–
tus as a sanctuary from weapons.
What happened?
Satellites Changa Our World
Reconnaissance has always played a
vi tal role in military operations.
But increasing vulnerability of air–
craft forced aerial reconnaissance
higher and higher, until today sur–
veillance is routinely conducted
from outer space.
Sputnik
/,
launched by the
Soviets in 1957, crossed the invis–
ible threshold between air and
space. Since then we have wit–
nessed the launchings of hundreds
of satellites, the placing of human
footpri nts on the moon, extended
periods spent in orbiting laborato–
ries, and probes sent to Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupi ter and Saturo.
These accomplishments are awe–
some. They havc changed the out–
look of us all.
Today, satellites interlock our
20th-century society. We rely on
satellites for our instantaneous
communication, monitoring
weather and natural resources,
studying the health of crops and
water availability, and locating oi l
and minerals, among numerous
other functions. Soon navigators
will pinpoint their position within
about 50 feet anywhere in the
world through a network of satel–
lites.
These uses benefit mankind. But
from the beginning a quiet military
application began. Communication
satellites that juggle calls from
London to New York can just as
easily relay military communica–
tions. Satellites photographing
An artist's conception of a
hypotbetical nuclear-tipped missile
a ttack. First, an overview below,
rigbt : the proposed positioning of the
various space-defense orbiting
systems (numbered) in a strategic
defense plan; then, in detail drawings,
top, how specific systems work. Sorne
proposals may never fly in orbit,
but our purpose is to piece together
the many systems now in planning
and picture what a space-based
defense arrangement might look
Ji
k
e.
The PLAIN TRUTH