Hypothesis:
This book argues that there is compelling evidence for an impending space race between China and the US. Driven by ambitions to place astronauts on the Moon and driven by fears about national security, the new space race will undoubtedly be fought on two fronts, the first being in the manned spaceflight arena and the second in the strategic dimension. (xii)
Main Points:
…could boost domestic pride, gain international prestige, increase economic development, and reap all the benefits the US acquired through the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. (5)
…the true purpose of China’s spaceflight program lies in the dual-use nature of space technology. China’s human space program and lunar exploration missions are intended to counteract concerns and divert attention from China’s military uses of space. (12)
Since its inception, the US space program has been guided by principles driven by the knowledge that those who effectively utilize space will enjoy added prosperity and security and will hold a significant advantage over those who do not. (23)
China’s space policy is largely driven by the need to add to China’s comprehensive national power (CNP), defined as the sum of a nation’s economic, political, educational, scientific, technological, and military strength. CNP can be separated into hard power, such as the armed forces, and soft power, such as societal and economic influence. (39)
…statements that, in light of the ASAT test, are nothing more than hot air. (47)
Of all the nations in the world, the US is the most reliant on space, and is therefore the most vulnerable to the disruption of its space assets – a weakness China fully intends to exploit in the event of a conflict. (49)
As warfare evolves to the point at which it is imperative to neutralize important targets quickly, the deployment of space weapons to defeat space threats is inevitable and an arms race in space unavoidable. (51)
4 schools: sanctuary (53), survivability (54), domination (55), control (56)
Washington has learned from bitter experience that major international projects almost always end up costing more, taking longer, and delivering less than a national program. (212)
On the issue of space weaponization, there appears to be no best option, since, regardless of the choice, there will be those who will benefit and those who will suffer. However, the worst choice is to do nothing. The US has decided that space weapons represent a revolutionary military transformation. While such a step is controversial, the nature of international relations and the lessons of history dictate that such transformations begin with the will of a few acting for the benefit of all. By moving forward with space weaponization, the US is moving forward against the fears of the many and harnessing new technologies for a strategy of cooperative advantage for all. (230)