Global Classrooms
International Model United Nations
Middle School Conference
General Assembly I – Disarmament and Security (DISEC)
Militarization of Space
2016
“LIVE DIVERSITY”
March 31 - April 2
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Description of the Committee
The First Committee in the General Assembly (GA1) deals with issues
including disarmament, global challenges and threats to peace that affect
the international community and finds solutions to what the international
security regime has been facing.
It also takes into consideration issues such as disarmament and
international security within the Charter or related to the roles of any
other organ of the United Nations; the general principles of cooperation
in the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as rules
governing disarmament and the regulation of armaments; promotion of
accommodating provisions and actions intended at strengthening stability
through minor levels of armaments.
The committee also works with
the UN Disarmament
Commission and the Genevabased conference on
disarmament. GA1 is authorized
to precise records coverage.
The meetings in the committee are
made up of 3 parts which are:
1. General debate
2. Thematic discussions
3. Action on drafts
History of Topic
When space exploration began in the mid-20th century there was heavy
militaristic motivation. Both the United States and the USSR at the time
used the opportunity to test ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles)
and other weaponry. For example, the V-2 rocket, a German design, was
a short-range missile that was developed in Nazi Germany, and at the end
of WWII, the United States and the USSR both took their designs to
create long range missiles, resulting in ICBMs.
While long-range missiles are allowed to pass through outer space,
nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction are prohibited. It has
been mutually agreed for many years that outer space should be used for
research and purposes that benefit humankind. Many resolutions have
been passed stating that objects sent in and through outer space should be
exclusively used peacefully.
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However, military satellites are permitted due to the argument that
“peaceful purposes” means the non-aggressive handling of peace and
security.
Despite how futuristic the militarization of space may seem, research and
development for this venture is currently underway. Many projects for the
development of space weapons were introduced during the Cold War,
when the superpowers were competing in a major arms race. It does not
only include weapons in orbit that can fire towards Earth, but also
weapons that can fire from Earth into space. Ultimately, space weapons
are categorized into two sections: Space-to-Earth Weapons, and Earth-to
Space Weapons.
Space-to-Earth Weapons involve weaponry in the orbit of any large body
(planets, stars, moons, etc.). They are designed to attack targets on the
surface of the large body that they are orbiting. Potential implementations
of this for the future could include kinetic bombardment, which occurs
when the projectile's destructive force is purely from the impact that it
drives, rather than its explosive force. In 1968, the Soviet Union launched
the Fractional Orbital Bombardment System. This system was designed to
deploy nuclear warheads into the Earth’s orbit, and then de-orbit them for
an attack on the Earth's surface. However, this system was never armed
with live warheads due to the Outer Space Treaty (outlined below). It was
shut down in January 1983 after the implementation of the SALT II
Treaty of 1979, which prohibited the launch of systems capable of
deploying weapons of mass destruction into orbit. Earth-to-Space
Weapons are far more likely to become prevalent in our time. Their most
likely form would be anti-satellite weapons, which would serve the
purpose of destroying orbiting machinery. The destroyed machinery
would remain in orbit, but no longer be functional. Ballistic missiles have
been proposed to destroy orbiting satellites, but it also possible to do this
with particle beams or lasers. This, however, remains a relatively
unfeasible proposal until future technological developments, particularly
in that of energy. In the past, the US and China have both tested Earth-toSpace Weapons by firing on their own dysfunctional satellites. These
were destroyed with ballistic (conventional) missiles rather than beams,
lasers or other weapons of greater destruction.
The controversy surrounding Space-to-Earth Weapons is the sheer
impact of its destruction capability. These weapons would provide a
considerable advantage in the arms race, causing too large a shift in
power. The controversy around Earth-to-Space Weapons centers on the
debris remaining after orbiting machinery has been destroyed.
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The particles of debris would be uncontrolled, thus having the ability to
re- enter the Earth's atmosphere at high speeds and potentially cause
damage to the Earth’s surface. Additionally, the Kessler Syndrome, also
known as collisional cascading, would take place. This occurs when
existing debris collides with other debris, causing further debris to be
created, ultimately making space exploration and the like impossible
without damage to machinery. Furthermore, there is the fundamental
issue of expensive resources used in creating satellites and space
machinery being wasted when this machinery is destroyed and the
debris left to float in space.
Detailed Description
The Outer Space Treaty
The Outer Space Treaty formally called the Treaty on Principles
Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer
Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, was implemented
on October 10, 1967. The treaty has 102 parties who have both signed
and ratified the treaty, while another 26 states are signatories that have
not yet completed ratification. It was sponsored by the Russian
Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. This
treaty forms the legal structure used to enforce international space laws.
The Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used by all States Party to
the Treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes. The establishment of
military bases, installations and fortifications, the testing of any type of
weapons and the conduct of military maneuvers on celestial bodies shall
be forbidden. The use of military personnel for scientific research or for
any other peaceful purposes shall not be prohibited. The use of any
equipment or facility necessary for peaceful exploration of the Moon and
other celestial bodies shall also not be prohibited.
This is strictly and clearly prohibiting the militarization of space, as well
as the use of celestial bodies for militaristic purposes. The clause that
forbids placement of weapons of mass destruction into orbit; therefore,
forbids any Space-to-Earth weapons carrying nuclear warheads.
However, Space-to Earth weapons that neither in orbit nor installed on a
celestial body have not been forbidden. Nonetheless, space weaponry
outside of orbit will prove extremely difficult to control, maintain and
monitor, thus making them impractical options. Furthermore, some Earthto-Space weapons have not been expressly forbidden in this treaty. The
Moon or any other celestial body may be used exclusively for peaceful
purposes, thus banning the use and/or testing of any Earth-to-Space
weaponry on celestial bodies. However, objects placed into orbit
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(assuming that they do not contain WMDs) or elsewhere in outer space
may be fired upon by Earth-to-Space Weapons.
The Outer Space Treaty is restricting the implementation of space
weapons in order to maintain peace and stability among nations.
However, 26 nations have yet to ratify the treaty (all State Parties have
acceded to the treaty).
ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles)
The first man-made object to be sent into space was the V-2 rocket made
by the Germans during World War Two. At the end of the war, both the
United States and USSR used the German resources to begin their own
research into space technology. Soon after that, the USSR developed the
world’s first ICBM, the R-7 rocket.
The ICBMs were very important at this time period. With ballistic
missiles, nuclear weapons could be launched into space and onto virtually
any surface of the earth within a matter of minutes. When they were
developed, many tests arose to make them better and to find ways to
counter them, resulting in ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missiles).
During the 1970s, the production of MIRVs (Multiple Independently
Targetable Reentry Vehicle) commenced. These were a type of ICBM
that carried several warheads (which could potentially be nuclear) and
were capable of hitting several targets. Countering an ICBM attack with
ABMs would be inefficient due to the multiple warheads which will
outnumber the ABMs.
At this point, both the US and the USSR were equal with the
development of their ICBMs, and this was motivated by the concept of
MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction). This term was developed to
represent the complete destruction if two opposing parties were to use
weapons of mass destruction against each other. As the relationship
between the countries improved, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty was
introduced. It was signed in May of 1972 and was ratified in August of
the same year.
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Military Satellites
Military satellites collect information and imagery for military
purposes. However, it is hard to clearly distinguish satellites as solely
commercial satellites and solely military satellites, as most satellites
sometimes perform both tasks.
Satellites are currently used for purposes such as communicating with
forces globally, tracking any missiles or threats, imagery and intelligence,
and for navigation purposes such as guiding soldiers and identifying
targets.
As of May 31st, 2013, the United States has 131 military satellites in orbit.
This places the United States as number one followed by Russia and
China respectively.
Drones
Drones, (a.k.a. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or Remotely Piloted Aerial
Systems) are aircrafts used when an expedition seems too dangerous for
humans to be on board. They are sometimes operated through the
computers installed and sometimes by remote controls from the ground.
These aircrafts can stay afloat for 17 hours at a time, providing real-time
imagery of what is happening below them.
Drones are used in the military to collect surveillance and intelligence.
Large drones are used as spy planes. There are smaller and medium sized
drones that can be launched from one country to another especially when
manned military operations are too risky or not suitable.
Militarized Applications
Satellites are and have been vulnerable to terrestrial anti-satellite (ASAT)
systems since the late 1980s. However, there is currently a trend towards
launching such systems into space directly. Since the Bush
administration, the U.S. has long made it clear that space weapons will be
a reality in the coming century. The United States’ withdrawal from the
Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 2002 has allowed the U.S. to
move forward with space-based missile defense systems. A number of
nations have already begun to launch weaponized satellites into outer
space. In October 2013, the People’s Republic of China, who has never
been a signatory to the ABM treaty, tested a weaponized satellite capable
of capturing other satellites while in orbit. Prior to that, China
demonstrated the ability to hit and destroy an orbiting satellite with a
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missile in 2007. A number of other nations have also demonstrated work
on ASAT strategies located and originating in outer space.
Previous Actions
As evident in the guide, the United Nations First Committee as well as the
Conference on Disarmament has spent almost four decades debating,
discussing, and negotiating the weaponization of outer space. What started
with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and a ban of nuclear weapons in
outer space has resulted in a series of dialogue that has borne little fruit.
With the most recent draft treaty submitted to the CD in February 2008,
the United States sees no need for any further documents to be submitted
as it believes that the existing material on the issue are sufficient and
adequate. The draft treaty builds upon a draft resolution submitted to the
committee in 2002 by both Russia and China; as it has been nearly six
years since the resolution and little has been accomplished, it does not
bode well for the treaty. The indication is that an extensive series of
dialogues and negotiations will still not deter the United States from
shifting course, as it sees no reason to abandon its policies given the
provisions laid out in the draft. If this committee is to learn from prior
actions, it is that something monumental and transformational will be
needed to bridge the gap between the two opposing factions.
Another UN body, the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space,
started promulgating its debris mitigation standards in 2007. Its two
subcommittees, the Scientific and Technical Committee and the Legal
Committee, continue to meet annually in order to ensure a safe and
peaceful exploration of space. The United Nations Office for Outer Space
Affairs (UNOOSA) serves as the secretariat for COPUOS and is
responsible for international collaboration for the peaceful exploration of
space.
U.N. Council on Disarmament (CD)
Since the early 1980s, the U.N. Conference on Disarmament (CD) has
housed and developed proposals for outer space disarmament, in particular
the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) proposal.
Currently, the CD is operating under a mandate by the Secretary-General
to study outer space transparency and confidence- building measures
(TCBMs). Generally, the CD supports member states with their efforts to
prevent an arms race in outer space.
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International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) regulates
information and communication technologies that operate on the global
radio spectrum and in satellite orbits. As the number of communication
devices and information sharing systems continue to increase worldwide,
the communication frequency spectrum and geostationary orbit positions
used for the operation of these commercial and military systems is
becoming an increasingly scarce resource—this is where the ITU is of
particular importance. The ITU coordinates between satellites to prevent
communication errors and to avoid harmful interference or even
collisions between satellites by allocating satellite communication
frequencies and/or orbital positions.
Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC)
The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) was
established by the U.S., Russian, Japanese, and European space agencies
in 1993 to exchange information about space debris research, to review
the cooperative activities, and to identify debris mitigation options. The
IADC now consists of 12 member agencies in total: CNSA (China),
CNES (France), ISRO (India), UKSA (United Kingdom), DLR
(Germany), ASI (Italy), SSAU (Ukraine), and CSA (Canada) in addition
to the founding agencies—ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), NASA (United
States), and RosCosmos (Russian Federation). The IADC contributes to
publically available data, findings, and reports that are often published in
U.N. reports. The U.N. also frequently sends requests to the IADC for
technical support and inquiries on space debris and outer space
sustainability.
Recommendations/ Questions
1.Where does your country stand in terms of outer space activity?
2. Is your country affected by the militarization of outer space?
3. Has your nation participated in any actions towards solving this issue?
4. Should Military Satellites be regulated in terms of their military vs.
peaceful uses?
5. What are the benefits of militarizing space? What are the dangers of
militarizing space?
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6. How can the situation be monitored to discern between what states say
they are doing and what they are really doing?
7. Are the treaties present today still valid? Should the international
community address new concerns?
8. Any recent events that might jeopardize the safety and security of
space?
Citations
Bridge, Robert. "Global Research." Global Research. N.p., 11 Dec.
2012. Web. 29 Aug. 2013.
Conference on Disarmament, Draft “Treaty on Prevention of the Placement of Weapons
in Outer Space and of the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects
(PPWT)” (CD/1839), 2008.
"Drones: What Are They and How Do They Work?" BBC News.
BBC, 31 Jan. 2012. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10713898>.
European Space Agency & European Commission, Resolution on the European Space
Policy/ESA Director General’s Proposal for the European Space Policy, 2007.
Shah, Anup. "Militarization and Weaponization of Outer Space."
Global Issues. N.p., 21 Jan. 2007. Web. 29 Aug. 2013.
Tulk, Cameron. "OpenCanada.org." Canadian International Council Canadas Hub for
International Affairs the Militarization of Space So Far Comments. N.p., 5 Mar.
2013. Web. 29 Aug. 2013.
"UCS Satellite Database." Union of Concerned Scientists. N.p., 21
June 2013. Web. 04 Sept. 2013. <http://www.ucsusa.org/>.
UNOOSA, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) [Website], 2013.
UN Office at Geneva, CD Documents related to Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer
Space [Website], 2013.
"U.S.-India Joint Fact Sheet: Cooperation in Space." U.S.
Department of State. U.S. Department of State, 24 June 2013.
Web. 29 Aug. 2013.
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