Space as battleground: US officials want to set up rules of engagement and warfare in Space

People who have kept tabs on the development that we have made in space exploration truly believe that the next frontier for humankind will be high up in the sky. Well, if the US government has its way, the next big battlefield, may also be high up in the sky. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has forced the US to think how it would deal with their adversaries in lower Earth orbit, and perhaps beyond. Ukraine’s use of commercial satellites to resist the Russian incursion has increased the US Space Force’s interest in leveraging private sector capabilities to create new technologies for waging a space war. Worried that these private satellites may be attacked in Space, or, worse yet, they can be used to attack the US, officials from the White House and Pentagon officials have been trying to determine what the policy should be in such a scenario. Space, the next frontier where wars will be fought? In October, a senior Russian official stated that if commercial satellites are used to assist Ukraine, Moscow may attack them.The growth of privately operated satellites, according to Konstantin Vorontsov, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s department for nonproliferation and arms, is “an extremely dangerous trend that goes beyond the harmless use of outer-space technologies and has become apparent during the latest developments in Ukraine.” In reaction, White House press assistant Karine Jean-Pierre repeated previous remarks from her Navy counterpart that “any assault on US infrastructure, as you’ve heard from my colleague, will be met with a retaliation in a time and way of our choosing.” What that response might be may continue to be a puzzle for now, but for not for long. In a recent interview, Gen. David Thompson, the Space Force’s deputy commander of operations, stated that while increasing collaboration with the private space sector is one of his top objectives, it has also raised a number of unresolved questions. SpaceX and Ukraine show the way “The conflict in Ukraine has pushed it to the centre,” he said. “First, commercial companies are considering explicitly and thoughtfully about whether we should be engaged. Should we take part? What are the consequences of being involved? … And it’s precisely the same on our end. Should we rely on for-profit services? “How can we rely on business services?” The talks take place as the Pentagon invests in more technologies designed for civilian use but with combat uses. The Pentagon promised to “increase collaboration with the private sector in priority areas, particularly with the commercial space industry, leveraging its technological advancements and entrepreneurial spirit to enable new capabilities” in the National Defense Strategy, which was released late last year. Several firms are working on small rockets that can be launched cheaply and with little warning. Meanwhile, SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket 61 times last year, setting a new milestone. This year, the business plans to introduce even more products. “We believe we’ll be in the 200, 300, 400 area in a few years,” Space Force Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy Jr. said at a meeting this month, alluding to total space missions. “There has been a significant rise in business launches.” He said the Space Force would like to get to the stage where “we’re continually launching, and there’s a schedule. There is a launch in two hours and a launch in twenty hours. Is your satellite not yet operational? Alright, move on to the next one.” The Space Force has suggested an approach particularly intended to assist small launch companies contend for its next round of national security launch contracts. War and clean up The Space Force is also turning to the commercial sector for on-orbit maintenance, such as refuelling and fixing injured vessels. Purdy envisions a world with propellant stores in space, tugs that can transport damaged spacecraft, junkyards, and production in space on private space platforms. “We don’t construct a ship, a tank, or an aeroplane and then say, ‘Okay, you’re going to run this for the next 15 or 20 years, and you need to plan all your activities based on the fact that you’re never going to replenish these ever again,’” Purdy explained. “It’s difficult to comprehend, but that’s how we truly function in space.” Last year, the Space Force introduced Orbital Prime, a programme that would provide seed funding to businesses to create the technology required to clean up space. Companies can receive $250,000 in the first round of financing, with a second round of funding worth up to $1.5 million. The mission will conclude with an orbital test exercise. “New tools are expanding the industry,” Thompson explained. “As a result, there has been a cultural shift. We’re attempting to adjust, but as with any shift, it presents challenges.” Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.