Due to its evolution into a critical warfighting domain, space is becoming increasingly militarized. As a result of this changing landscape, advanced commercial technology is also being integrated into military operations at an all-time high. In 2025, NASA’s fiscal year budget is projected to reach 27 billion (NASA). Today’s rapidly evolving landscape and ever-changing threats require integrating military space capabilities into modern military operations. This article will cover space as a fifth domain and the opportunities, challenges, and threats that come with the domain.
Space Technologies: Key Military Applications
In today’s broader security landscape, satellites are essential tools for communication, precise navigation, real-time intelligence, and surveillance. Satellites provide modern warfighters with reconnaissance, precision targeting, and early attack warning information as part of a state-of-the-art deterrence strategy. Space is becoming recognized as an essential operational domain; thus, protecting satellite communication and intelligence becomes paramount as they are exposed to mounting threats.
Missile Defense Systems
As the successor of the Space Force-operated Defense Support Program (DSP), the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) is integral to defense and security. DSP was first implemented in the 1970s and has been continually improved over the years to enhance its capabilities. SBIRS and DSP were designed to detect missiles and provide early warning to improve battlespace awareness. The SBIRS program uses more advanced technology to offer greater flexibility, higher sensitivity, and broader mission capabilities than the DSP program.
Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Weapons
As satellites are critical to securing government data, hostile states often target them with Anti-Satellite Weapons (ASATs) to disrupt them. At the same time that satellites were developed, these weapons were developed. They can be divided into two types: kinetic and non-kinetic. Among the kinetic ASATs are missiles, drones, and other satellites that crash into the targeted satellites. In contrast, the non-kinetic ASATs use cyber attacks, electron-magnetic pulses, or lasers to disable or blind satellites.
Using ASATs has a significant risk of further increasing “space junk” in orbit around the Earth; when debris accumulates, along with the damage from intentional attacks, it can cause accidental damage to any spacecraft. The U.S., Russia, China, and India have all developed and tested ASATs. Although they have not yet been deployed in warfare, they remain a concern for orbital stability.
Cyber Warfare in Space
Cyber attacks in this domain present yet another threat. In such attacks, perpetrators gain access to a target’s computer system, which can include hacking in-orbit satellites, compromising data, or affecting the target’s computer system, leading to the disruption of satellites, power grids, and other infrastructure. Cyber attacks are primarily intended for cyber reconnaissance, either to map an adversary’s system or to collect intelligence. Some preventative measures can be taken to prevent cyber attacks, including adding EMI/RFI shielding to sensitive electronics and training personnel to recognize phishing attempts, social engineering, and insider threats.
Orbital Dominance and Strategic Positioning
Satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) rotate from West to East over the equator at the same velocity as Earth’s rotation, taking 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds to complete a full rotation. Geostationary orbit is used for satellites that appear to stay above one location on Earth for a long period.
A GEO ensures that defense teams can detect missile launches, space launches, and nuclear detonations. These satellites can also provide warnings of reconnaissance threats and gather information from other satellites and enable communication. Most satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at 1200 miles or less above the Earth.
Space as a Warfighting Domain
Drafted in response to the Cold War arms race in 1967, the Outer Space Treaty was enacted, banning the stationing of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in outer space and emphasizing the peaceful exploration of space. As of 2024, 115 countries have agreed to the treaty.
Cyber Warfare and Its Implications for Space Operations
Cyberspace has become a fifth domain alongside land, sea, air, and space. In the context of military operations, cyber attacks can specifically target satellite systems, compromising data and disrupting essential communications. As such, increasing threats, from espionage to the disruption of communications, are a significant concern. As military operations increasingly rely on space-based assets, developing defensive and offensive capabilities that address these threats is vital.
Private Sector Partnerships in Military Space Operations
Private companies are becoming increasingly important players in enhancing our capabilities in space as competition in this field increases. In a recent mission, SpaceX collaborated with the U.S. Space Force, using its Falcon 9 rocket to launch the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM) constellation, which enhances connectivity in the Arctic region. As part of the U.S. Defense Department’s 2024 Arctic Strategy, this initiative will leverage space-based communications and enable operations in environments above 65 degrees North latitude.
Advancing Space Defense
The integration of evolving technologies will be pivotal to shaping national security strategies as space continues to emerge as a crucial military frontier. With cutting-edge innovations that enhance communication and defense capabilities, Cevians is at the forefront of this evolution. With continuous innovation and a focus on strategic partnerships, we are creating a safer and more secure future for space.
Explore Cevians
