Space as a Security Domain
How outer space has become a contested domain of military competition, from spy satellites and anti-satellite weapons to the weaponization debate.
The Militarization of Space
Space has been militarized since the dawn of the Space Age. The first satellites launched in the late 1950s were closely tied to military objectives: reconnaissance, communications, and early warning of missile launches. Today, military satellites are essential infrastructure. GPS, originally a US military system, guides precision munitions and troop movements. Reconnaissance satellites provide real-time battlefield intelligence. Communications satellites connect commanders to forces worldwide.
Modern militaries are so dependent on space assets that disabling an adversary's satellites would provide an enormous advantage. This dependency has created a new vulnerability: space is now a potential battleground. The US, Russia, China, and India have all demonstrated anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities. China's 2007 ASAT test, which destroyed one of its own defunct satellites, created thousands of debris fragments that continue to threaten other spacecraft. India followed with its own test in 2019.