Space Weapons Are Really a Terrible Idea
By Karl Grossman
[Note to readers: I was just on th ephone with Dr. Grossman, a
professor at the State University of New York at Westbury,
interviewing him about Sunday night's blow-up-the-comet project.
Grossman is a well respected author and commentator on the issue of
space-based weapons. Book references are below. This is his newest
column.]
THE WHITE HOUSE is expected in coming weeks to declare space a new
arena of war. It is anticipated that the Bush administration will give
the go-ahead to long-developing strategy to -- as U.S. military plans
explicitly state -- "control" the "ultimate high ground" of space and
from it "dominate" the planet below.
Indeed, after expending billions of dollars in preparation, especially
for the Star Wars program of the Reagan era -- the United States has
the technology to move into space with weapons. But that the United
States will end up as the only nation up there is a huge
miscalculation.
A tragic mistake is in the making that will lead to an arms race in
space and no nation having any advantage. The United States can be
first to deploy weapons in space, but then, in response, China and
Russia - and who knows what other nation next -- will be up there,
too.
Vast amounts of financial resources will have to be expended by the
citizens of all these countries, money desperately needed for medical
care, education, the environment and all the other great wants on
Earth. And, it will divert resources from the war on terrorism.
Just a few decades ago, the United States joined with the United
Kingdom and the Soviet Union to prevent the weaponization of space.
The three nations put together a visionary document: the Outer Space
Treaty, enacted in 1967 and now ratified by most of the nations on
Earth.
"Inspired by the great prospects opening up before mankind" as a
result of the "entry into outer space, recognizing the common interest
of all mankind in the progress of the exploration and use of space for
peaceful purposes," it prohibits the placement of "nuclear weapons or
any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction" in space.
In recent years, our neighbor, Canada, has led -- along with Russia
and China -- Efforts to broaden the treaty and ban all weapons in
space.
The United States has opposed this and would now break the Outer Space
Treaty by deploying weapons of mass destruction. One U.S. program,
nicknamed "Rods From God," would hurl cylinders of tungsten, titanium
or uranium at targets on Earth each striking with the force of a
"small" nuclear weapon. That's a weapon of mass destruction.
And to other nations responding and meeting us in kind in space, a
high U.S. diplomat told me as he prepared to vote at the United
Nations against a resolution barring all space weapons, U.S. military
analyses have determined China is "30 years behind" in competing with
the U.S. militarily in space, and Russia "doesn't have the money." I
recounted travels in China, observing its technological strength,
noted its space prowess, and pointed to the enormous space
capabilities of Russia. A big error is being made, I said. He
disagreed.
In recent weeks, there have been declarations that China and Russia
would counter with force if the United States moves to weaponize
space. If "we find ourselves in a situation where we need to react, of
course we will do it," said a Russian official.
Moreover, consider if space is armed and there is a shooting war with
laser weapons and hypervelocity guns and particle beams (a preferred
energy source: on-board nuclear power) and other weapons exchanging
fire. There would be so much debris left orbiting at high speed above
the planet that humanity would be precluded for millennia from again
getting up and out and exploring space. As Edgar Mitchell, a former
astronaut who walked on the moon, has said: "Getting out to deep space
would be like swimming in a piranha-full river or running through a
hail of bullets."
Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons &
Nuclear Power in Space, says the proposed new Bush National Space
Policy Directive must be "met with a resounding chorus that says we
will not allow this plan for space warfare to go forward."
People must demand warfare not be allowed to extend to the heavens.
--
Karl Grossman, professor of journalism at the State University of New
York/College at Old Westbury, is author of "Weapons In Space" (Seven
Stories Press) and host of the television documentary "Star Wars
Returns" (EnviroVideo).
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