Editorial: Time for US to reflect on space policy

• Source: Global Times
• [08:24 July 20 2009]
• Comments

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the first landing on the Moon by the US Apollo 11 mission in July, 1969. Apart from representing a victory over the former Soviet Union during the Cold War, the lunar landing was hailed as the greatest technological achievement in human history and an exciting showcase of the national pride of Americans.

Now is the time to remember the significance of the historic event. More importantly, it is a good time to think about the world’s current situation in space.

We should acknowledge that the US’ development of space technology and courageous space exploration in the decades after the historic moon landing contributed a lot to improving people’s daily life, spurring new achievements in environmental protection and telecommunications.

However, from the very beginning the US’ development of space was militarily and politically motivated. This is closely connected with the current threat posed by the militarization of space.

In 1983, US President Ronald Reagan proposed the “Star Wars” program, an ambitious project that would establish a space-based anti-missile system. After the September 11 terror attacks in 2001, the United States became more worried about its security and escalated its space technology research and development.

In December 2001, US President George W. Bush declared the US was withdrawing from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. In 2006, the Bush administration authorized a new National Space Policy, saying that the United States would “preserve its freedom of action in space (and) deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to US national interests.” In recent years, the US has several times rejected UN draft resolutions on weapons bans in outer space.

According to statistics presented earlier this year by the Union of Concerned Scientists, there are a total of 905 man-made satellites orbiting the earth, of which 443 are from the United States.

We have to be clear that the US’ aggressive development of space technology and endless efforts to militarize space are closely connected with its global strategy. Its ambition to be dominant in space serves its ambition to maintain global hegemony.

Under these circumstances, other major countries and alliances, such as Russia, China, Canada and the European Union (EU), are firmly against the US’ aggressive march into space. They have already developed advanced space technology and have challenged US dominance with their great achievements in space exploration.

Stimulated by the US’ leading position in military space technology, many other major powers around the world including Russia, Japan, India and the EU are trying to keep up with the US in this regard. Russia has established space forces and is developing weapons designed for use in space. Countries such as Japan, South Korea and Brazil are researching and developing military satellites.

Peaceful use of space is still a rosy dream not yet realized. Instead, a potential arms race in space and even space war looms. The United States needs to rethink where its ambition to control space will lead, as other competitors are becoming increasingly powerful.

Every country, especially the US, should know clearly everything they do in space development must serve their people’s fundamental wishes for peace and stability.