The Only
High Ground in Space
is Boot Hill

Space is not a militarily viable battleground, because it is transparent. This is the elephant in the room that no one talks about.

Lasers are not the only directed energy weapons technology, they are just the most recent. Archimedes invented a technology that is over 2000 years old which is capable of destroying even high orbiting space assets. To destroy high orbiting satellites it would be fantastically large, technically challenging and not at all cheap, but it would be far from impossible. This is a simple example to show the flawed thinking in using Space as the new high ground. On a terrestrial high ground you have something substantial to hide behind.

All space assets are visible and therefore extremely vulnerable. America has been lulled into the sin of pride by defense company salesman. Against poorly trained and organized troops, American technology led to a slaughter. With U.S. space assets destroyed, a skilled opponent with a greater number of technologically inferior weapons could force an outcome that would be a military disaster for U. S. Forces.

The issues of Missile Defense and Nuclear Proliferation are two sides of the same coin, both seem to be a natural response when someone feels threatened.

When a country feels under threat, it will get nuclear weapons to defend itself. History
has not yet shown a successful invasion of a nuclear armed country. Recent history has
shown that a non-nuclear armed country can be invaded. (see Iraq)

When a country that has been been unfairly dealt with in the past, acquires nuclear weapons, the United States feels threatened. (see Iran)

When the United States feels threatened, it tries to design and field the missile defense capabilities to smother any nuclear attack by a smaller country.

A country may acquire nuclear weapons without threatening the United States by limiting it’s means to deliver them. To defend itself, a country does not need to project it’s nuclear weapons much beyond it’s border. It needs to show discipline and refrain from targeting the whole world.

If the U.S. continues to use space assets for terrestrial warfare into the far future it can appear that the U.S. has made Near-Earth Space a hostage, to maintain it’s military position. While this point is militarily irrelevant, it could become a common viewpoint in the rest of the world.

And one must never lose sight that any degradation of the space environment is nearly impossible to reverse. Losing access to space at this time when supplies of energy and other natural resources are become critical, might also remove a sanctuary for human civilization. The Earth will endure, mankind will endure, but human civilization could fall to the level of a lot of hungry animals in a very small cage.

Louis P. Quinn September 2009