On Thursday the Council on Foreign Relations released a report on US-China competition in space, with a particular emphasis on the threat posed by space weaponization. Unlike some other reports that call for a blanket ban on space weapons, the “China, Space Weapons, and U.S. Security” report acknowledges that “some degree of offensive space capability is inevitable” but that the US in particular needs to take a leading role in ensuring that this doesn’t lead to armed conflict in orbit. That effort should be done with “vigorous diplomatic initiatives as well as defense programs and strategy”, adding that any offensive space capabilities the US chooses to develop should be “primarily for deterrent purposes”. As for China, it needs to “give serious consideration to steps that can help it play a more effective role” in this area, particularly in light of its January 2007 ASAT test.
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