1. Banning all use and testing of
weapons in outer space
Disarmament
MUNOFS VII
Kaushal Alate
(Deputy Chair)
1-2 November 2014
Introduction
• Weapons in outer space – an ominous possibility and a real and
urgent threat to international security:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ukHcG1Dh0w
• The beginning of the video above shows nuclear weapon in action,
but in outer space, even a small rock can be used to destroy a
satellite without the restraints of gravity
• It is therefore imperative that nations collaborate to come up with
an unambiguous and enforceable framework that promotes peace
and stymies the weaponization of outer space
Key Terms Defined I
Outer space
“The physical universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere” (OED)
Estimated by NASA and other agencies to start about 100 km
above sea level
Militarization of outer space
Use of satellites by militaries for monitoring, communication and
other “peaceful uses”
Weaponization of outer space
(Widely understood as) the deployment of technology with
destructive capabilities (outer space weapons) in orbit in outer space
Key Terms Defined II
Anti-satellite weapons (ASATs)
Devices capable of damaging satellites in orbit through missiles or
targeted nuclear-powered electromagnetic radiation (lasers)
Ground-based ASATs
Devices positioned on the earth’s surface capable of damaging
satellites in orbit
A 1986 illustration by the US
Defense Intelligence Agency of an
ASAT attacking its target
Source: Wikimedia Commons
History I
Source: NASA
The space race began in the first half of the 20th century and reached its
zenith when US astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to step
onto the lunar surface on 21 July 1969.
Nations worldwide, having agreed that it was in humankind’s common
interest to explore outer space for peaceful and beneficial purposes, had
already signed the 1967 Outer Space Treaty to this effect.
History II
However, the Outer Space Treaty did not explicitly forbid the weaponization
of outer space apart from the use of nuclear weapons or other weapons of
mass destruction.
As space technology developed, so did the use of outer space for military
uses such as satellite communications and navigations. Several countries,
including Russia, China and the US, are now also purportedly developing
anti-satellite capabilities (the latter two have demonstrated their ability to
destroy satellites in orbit). The US has been particularly vocal in defending its
right to use outer space devices to serve national security interests.
Key Issues I
As outer space presents such vast opportunities for enriching human life
and safeguarding national interests, for instance satellite-based
communications and navigation, it is clear that countries will seek to
advance their space technologies. There is the risk that alongside the
development of these peaceful programmes, nations will also acquire
destructive capabilities. Thus, although it is generally believed that no
nation has yet placed any weapons into orbit, the threat of outer space
weaponization grows day by day. It is a multi-faceted issue which has
been separated into several key aspects on the following slides.
Key Issues II
• The possibility of an arms race as nations try to keep up with
other countries in outer space weapons technology
– Nations may oppose disarmament claiming that the development of
outer space weapons is necessary for a deterrent effect to more powerful
states
– Developing countries may re-allocate funds to outer space defence,
potentially slowing down socioeconomic progress
– There is the contentious question of whether space weapons should be
concentrated in the hands of a few countries, like nuclear power
– International relations may evolve, creating a dangerous, fragile situation
like that which set off the First World War
Key Issues III
• Weapons with targets in outer space may be terrestrial (e.g.
ground-based ASATs that fire missiles at satellites) causing
difficulties in classification or exploitable loopholes in treaties
• There is a risk of terrorists seizing control of outer space
weapons, especially in less economically developed nations
• Nuclear proliferation may be spurred on by nuclear-powered
outer space weapons
General Overview of Topic:
UN Perspective I
UNGA hall at
the UN’s
headquarters
in New York
Source:
Wikimedia
Commons
The United Nations has agreed from the outset that outer space
should be explored and used only in the interests of all humankind.
General Overview of Topic:
UN Perspective II
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty (with 102 States Parties) was based on a Declaration of the
General Assembly (UNGA) in 1963. In 2004, the UNGA expressed concern that there had
been insufficient progress in recommending ways to prevent military activities in outer
space. Parties are currently trying to negotiate a treaty in the Conference on
Disarmament, a multilateral forum linked to the UN General Assembly.
The Conference on
Disarmament in session
in Geneva, Switzerland
Source: UN
Major Parties and Views I
• China and Russia have recently proposed a revised treaty banning
weapons in outer space which builds on an earlier one outlined in
2008
• However, both are said to be concurrently developing outer space
weapons. For instance, in 2007, China destroyed an nonoperational weather satellite in orbit creating over 3000 pieces of
dangerous debris. More recently, there have been reports alleging
that China tested an anti-satellite missile in May 2013 under the
pretext of a research project.
Major Parties and Views II
• The United States opposes the treaty put forward by China and
Russia, claiming that the proposed treaty does not show how
countries’ space programmes are to be monitored and fails to
adequately address ground-based ASATs
• The US itself also tested an ASAT missile in 2008, potentially as a
response to China’s show of outer space power in 2007, though it
was termed a “public safety measure”
Major Parties and Views III
• US President Barack Obama’s 2010 National Space Policy
does not preclude the use of outer space weapons for
national defence
• Instead, the US endorses a less formal “Code of Conduct”
drafted by the European Union (last revised in 2010)
Major Parties and Views IV
• The vast majority of UN members states are against the
weaponization of space; however, some critics contend that a
complete ban on space weapons may render law-abiding states
vulnerable to “cheating nations” who covertly develop space
weapons
• Other nations, such as India, are perhaps being compelled to build
their own space defence capabilities for a deterrent effect to
countries that have already demonstrated their military ability in
outer space such as China and the US
Timeline of Events I
• 1967: Outer Space Treaty banning the placement of nuclear weapons or
weapons of mass destruction into outer space opened for signatures
• 1969: Neil Armstrong steps onto the moon
• 1979: Conference on Disarmament established
• 1979: Moon Agreement, a follow-up to the Outer Space Treaty intended
to guide exploratory activities to the moon and other celestial bodies,
opened for signatures
Timeline of Events II
• 2007: China destroys an old weather satellite in orbit
• 2008: The US carries out Operation Brunt Force, launching missiles to
destroy a an unresponsive intelligence satellite
• 2008: The EU commences the drafting of a non-binding International
Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities
• 2010: Obama releases new US National Space Policy
• May 2013: China allegedly performs another ASAT test
• 10 June 2014: China and Russia propose the latest updated treaty banning
outer space weapons (Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer
Space (PPWT)) which is met with hostility from the US
UN Involvement:
Relevant Resolutions, Treaties and Events
• Outer Space Treaty adopted by the UNGA in 1967
• Moon Agreement adopted by the UNGA in 1979
• Each year, the UNGA has passed with overwhelming support (the US being
amongst the few abstentions) a resolution that calls for adherence to past
treaties and urges the Conference on Disarmament to negotiate a new,
more comprehensive treaty to succeed the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
• The UNGA has also established, amongst other bodies, the Committee on
Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to encourage transnational cooperation in
the peaceful use of outer space, for instance in handling debris and crisis
management .
Evaluation of Previous Attempts to
Solve the Issue I
• The Outer Space Treaty explicitly prohibits the
placement of only nuclear weapons, or other
weapons of mass destruction, in outer space
• The Moon Agreement has failed to be ratified by
more than seven states as of August 2014
Evaluation of Previous Attempts to
Solve the Issue II
• The EU-initiated International Code of Conduct, which is
still being revised, is a non-binding and unenforceable
set of guidelines.
• The prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS)
has for long been a pending issue on the Conference on
Disarmament, with the US blocking any resolution that
attempts to ban outer space weapons, conceivably due
to its own outer space programme and defence policies.
Possible Solutions
•
Addressing concerns* raised by member states about current treaties
•
Guidelines to more clearly identify destructive uses of outer space from those
benefitting all humankind
– Revising the definition of an outer space weapon and Including ground-based
ASATs, which appear at present to be overlooked in definitions and
(proposed) treaties*
– Greater coordination between different national space programmes or the
establishment of an impartial, international committee to monitor and make
final judgements on countries’ activities in outer space*
•
Recommending the imposition of punitive measures for transgressions
•
Encouraging public education to raise awareness about the future of outer space
– public pressure may, in the future, sway member states that currently oppose a
treaty (such as the US which claims that there are currently no issues in outer
space that need to be resolved through international action*)
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