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Countries across the globe are rapidly accelerating their space activities, resulting in new opportunities in multiple sectors of society. However, the space race between China, Russia, and the U.S. and its allies present new threats to world peace. China and Russia are constantly challenging U.S. space leadership. Citing intensifying competition that presents a “serious threat”, the Biden administration has released a new framework document that outlines America’s space policy priorities, including addressing growing military threats and supporting “a rules-based international order for space.”
Military effectiveness
Without mentioning Russia’s direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile test or China’s recent hypersonic glide vehicle, the seven-page document highlights the increase in space-related threats. “The United States will defend its national security interests from the growing scope and scale of space and counter space threats. The intensifying strategic competition presents a serious threat to U.S. national security interests, including space. The military doctrines of competitor nations identify space as critical to modern warfare and view the use of counter-space capabilities as a means both to reduce U.S. military effectiveness and to win future wars,” the document says.
The U.S. will also accelerate its transition to a more resilient national security space posture and strengthen its ability to detect and attribute hostile acts in space. The Biden administration will leverage new commercial space capabilities and services to meet national security requirements as part of bolstering space mission assurance.
Critical infrastructure
The White House has highlighted the importance of protecting space-related critical infrastructure. It plans to enhance the security and resilience of space systems that provide or support U.S. critical infrastructure from malicious activities and natural hazards. In particular, the U.S. will work with the commercial space industry and other non-governmental space developers and operators to improve the cybersecurity of space systems, ensure efficient spectrum access, and strengthen the resilience of supply chains across the nation’s space industrial base. Furthermore, it will protect critical terrestrial infrastructure from space weather events, disrupting services such as electric power, telecommunications, water supply, health care, and transportation.
Earth observation and climate change
The document also lays emphasis on using space to help combat climate change and investing in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. “The United States will advance the development and use of space-based Earth observation capabilities that support action on climate change. The United States, through collaboration between the public, private, and philanthropic sectors, will accelerate the development and use of Earth observation to support climate change mitigation and adaptation. Open dissemination of Earth observation data will support both domestic and international efforts to address the climate crisis,” the framework says.
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