“Star Wars” should not be taken as an instruction manual. Though starships and laser cannons have filled the science fiction genre for decades, a real-life space military force would look very different. Despite the undeniable awe inspired by the movies, using space as yet another theater of war is something we must oppose.
Following the decades-long Cold War and the resulting U.S. vs. U.S.S.R Space Race, Russia became the first country to establish an independent “Space Force.” Since then, many countries have followed, including China, France, Japan, and the U.S. After its establishment in 2019, the U.S. Space Force’s budget has swelled to over $30 billion, and employs over 8,000 active personnel, both figures that have continued to grow.
Despite this growth, humanity is still far from science fiction space battles, and the Space Force’s current responsibilities are largely non-combative. They include managing satellite-based surveillance, communication, weather information for air operations and early-warning systems for missile threats. Though these operations seem relatively non-threatening, they still establish satellites as military assets. By doing so, satellites become increasingly valuable targets in warfare, and countries including the U.S., Russia and China have already developed anti-satellite weaponry. It seems only a matter of time before the satellites themselves become weaponized, and simply the name “Space Force” itself encourages such developments.
At the time of writing, over 8,000 satellites currently orbit Earth. These satellites are responsible for essential technology including GPS, weather forecasting and television. Though targeting these civilian satellites is considered a war crime under International Humanitarian Law, it is wholly unrealistic to believe that they will be safe if they are surrounded by military satellites being targeted in war. Not only does the destruction of satellites disrupt crucial technology and services, it also creates debris that can stay in orbit for millennia, threatening other satellites and inhibiting our ability to launch satellites in the future. It is incredibly difficult to clean up orbiting debris, and an excess of so-called “space junk” resulting from satellite destruction in warfare presents a real threat to our ability to use space infrastructure in the future.
Though the demilitarization of space does not guarantee the safety of satellites from terrorist threats or states operating outside of international law, we ought to hold the Air Force responsible for the protection of these satellites and abolish the concept of a Space Force entirely. This symbolic abolition of the Space Force helps us push for international cooperation in demilitarizing space and discouraging military satellites, satellite-based weaponry and most importantly, anti-satellite weaponry.
Space represents the best of humanity, the apogee of our development as a species. Everything from launching a TV satellite to landing a rover on Mars reflects not only countless hours of calculations and development but a culmination of centuries of scientific progress. Beyond the essential role space infrastructure plays in today’s technology, it represents the future of human progress and exploration. We must demilitarize and clean up space in order to protect the sanctity of humanity’s final frontier.
