Space as a Strategic Asset

Joan Johnson-Freese

Published by Columbia University Press 2007

Space as a Strategic Asset

Joan Johnson-Freese

https://doi.org/10.7312/john13654

Overview
Contents

About this book

Joan Johnson-Freese argues that the race for space weapons and the U.S. quest for exclusive or at least dominant ownership of strategic space assets have alienated the very allies that the United States needs in order to maintain its leading role in space exploration. Taking a balanced look at the issues that have contributed to the decline of America's manned space program, such as lack of political support and funding, Johnson-Freese offers not only a critique but also a plan for enhancing U.S. space security through cooperation rather than competition.

She begins with a brief overview of the history of international space development through four eras: before Sputnik, the space race, after Apollo, and globalization. Then she focuses on how policy changes of the mid-1990s have changed the nation, examining why the United States has grown obsessed with the development of space technology not just as a tool for globalization but as a route toward expanding an already dominant arsenal of weapons. Johnson-Freese claims that these policy choices have greatly affected the attitudes and actions of other countries, and in the fight to achieve security, the United States has instead put itself at greater peril.

Johnson-Freese explains complex technical issues in clear, accessible terms and suggests a way forward that is comprehensive rather than partisan. America is not the only country with space ambitions, but it is unique in viewing space as a battlefield and the technological advancements of other nations as a dire threat. Urgent and persuasive, Space as a Strategic Asset underscores the danger of allowing our space program to languish and the crucial role of cooperation in protecting the security of our country and the world.

Author / Editor information

Joan Johnson-Freese is professor and chair of the Department of National Security Decision-Making at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. She has been studying and writing about space issues for more than twenty years, and her many books include Changing Patterns of International Cooperation in Space and, with Roger Handberg, Space, the Dormant Frontier: Changing the Paradigm for the Twenty-First Century.

Reviews

Eve Lichtgarn:
Any discussion of space policy would benefit from the informed, reasoned opinions of Joan Johnson-Freese.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	vii
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xi
1. A Clash of Ambitions Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
2. The Conundrum of Dual-Use Technology Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	27
3. From Apollo to Where? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	51
4. The Militarization of Space Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	82
5. The Weaponization of Space Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	106
6. The Politicization of the U.S. Aerospace Industry Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	141
7. The Ambitions of Europe Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	169
8. The Ambitions of China Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	197
9. Avoiding a Clash of Ambitions: Toward a Comprehensive U.S. Space Strategy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	233
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	259
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	287

Language: English
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 320
Illustrations
- Other: 7 halftones, 2 tables

eBook

Published: March 27, 2007
ISBN: 9780231510011