Satellites: Space, the final war zone

The satellite network that encircles the globe is an essential part of modern life, enabling GPS navigation, weather monitoring and bank transactions. Since the 1991 Gulf War, known as the first Space War, armed forces have also become reliant on these space assets for the conduct of military operations.

Space is increasingly viewed as an arena in which warring parties can clash. President Trump’s 2020 space policy recognized that space could be used for ‘national security activities, including for the exercise of the inherent right of self-defence’. China’s 2016 white paper on space activities identifies the use of space for ‘national security and social progress’ and to ‘protect China’s national rights and interests, and build up its overall strength’.