Space Security Index

Space Security 2011
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infrastructure and defense capabilities; the second sought to develop a coordinated crossgovernment
space security policy to address these risks. 150 e U.K. National Security
Strategy, published 18 October 2010, highlights national security priorities, including severe
disruption to information received, transmitted, or collected by satellites, possibly as the
result of a deliberate attack by another state. 151
e Strategic Defence and Security Review, published the following day, called for a National
Space Security Policy that would “coherently address all aspects, both military and civil, of
the UK’s dependence on space; assure access to space; help mitigate risks to critical national
infrastructure; focus future investment and research on national priorities, opportunities, and
sovereign capability requirements; and encourage co-operation with UK industry and with
international partners.” 152 e Review goes on to say that “examples of these risks include
the potential eects of interference, cyber-attack, physical damage, and electromagnetic pulse
(whether natural or deliberate) on satellites or their ground stations critical to our security
and the economy.” 153
Germany
Germany also adopted a new space strategy aimed at safeguarding the future of the German
space industry. e strategy sets specic policy priorities, which include a focus on benets
and needs and the principle of sustainability; creating a uniform legal framework; expanding
space research; promoting stronger links between various stakeholders in European space
operations; and fostering international cooperation. 154 A further focus on nding uses for
space expertise in the contexts of civilian and military security will require that Germany
maintain its technological independence and have unrestricted access to space transportation
systems. 155
Australia
Australia launched a web presence for its newly established space policy unit under the
Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, in an eort to publicize
opportunities and achievements in the Australian space sector. As well as promoting
industry, the unit has been tasked with developing a National Space Policy encompassing
civil and defence matters, including climate change, weather forecasting, navigation, and
timing applications. 156
United States
Despite attention focused on the international dimension of the 2010 Space Policy, the policy
also seeks to maintain a robust and competitive industrial base in the U.S., and specically
seeks partnerships with the private sector to enable commercial spaceight capabilities for the
transport of crew and cargo to and from the International Space Station. To advance U.S.
exploration objectives, the policy’s “bold new approach to space exploration” argues for the
development of a new heavy lift vehicle 157 and proposes human missions to asteroids and
Mars. Since this new goal eectively does away with plans of going to the Moon, 158 critics
have declared that the U.S. will fall behind the Chinese and Indians, 159 who have expressed
a desire to pursue lunar exploration.
Concerns have also been raised about the lack of a backup government-managed rocket
system 160 in the event that the private sector is not able to meet expectations of safe and
reliable taxi servicing, 161 despite the successful test launch of the Space X Falcon 9 craft in
December 2010. is marked the rst time a private company had launched and reentered
a spacecraft from LEO. 162 At the end of 2010, the human spaceight program seemed
fraught with challenges, while NASA faced scal uncertainties in the absence of a 2011
appropriations bill. 163