It used to be that space was the ultimate high ground, safe from enemy attack. Space became the place to gather intelligence, surveil, reconnoiter enemy forces, transmit information globally, and command and control the application of force without risking incoming fire. Thus, the US military developed a national security strategy highly dependent on space assets based upon the assumption that those assets would be survivable. Today, those assumptions are no longer valid.
Myriad national security attributes are associated with aspects of US space policy and practice. The vulnerability of space assets and the competitive environment that now attends space practice, which accompanies the creation of the US Space Force, requires careful consideration of how the national defense posture can safely utilize capabilities in space. This article touches on some of the threats and issues associated with the use of space for national defense. While we do not address every issue related to developing new space capabilities, we explore several key concerns and offer recommendations on how these issues can be formulated for comprehensive study.