About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (September 11, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/goveqom0001 and id is 1 raw text is: U.S. Counterspace Capabilities September 11, 2024 What Is Counterspace? Counterspace operations can be either offensive or defensive. Offensive counterspace operations aim to deceive an adversary, disrupt the use ofa space system (such as a satellite), temporarily deny the use of a space system, degrade or impair an adversary's space system, or permanently eliminate a space system. Defensive counterspace operations protect space assets from attack, interference, or other hazards. The military uses counterspace operations to gain space superiority, which is the ability to use space for U.S. military purposes or deny an adversary's use of space, the area beyond 100 km above sea level. Background The United States government and private entities have long operated military and civilian spacecraft, including the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the NASA-led International Space Station, largely without the threat of disruption or attack by other nations. As adversary space capabilities have improved, U.S. policymakers have discussed how best to protect U.S. interests in space and from space-based threats, including hostile action as well as hazards such as debris from testing or using counterspace weapons. According to the Defense Intelligence Agency, foreign governments, primarily China and Russia, have developed counterspace weapons that may challenge U.S. capabilities in space. The FY2020 NDAA established the Space Force and the current iteration of Space Command (SPACECOM) in 2019. The Space Force is developing counterspace capabilities to defend against and deter potential adversary attacks. (See CRS In Focus IF12610, Defense Primer: The United States Space Force, by Jennifer DiMascio.) Under several international treaties, including the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, signatories agreed not to place weapons of mass destruction in space and to use space for peaceful purposes. In 2022, the White House issued a moratorium on testing a type of counterspace capability, direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA- ASAT) weapons, promoting a test ban as a potential international norm for responsible behavior in space. The White House also said a shared understanding of what constitutes safe and responsible space activities can reduce the risk of miscommunication and miscalculation. Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN12420 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most