The Command of Space

This paper develops a compelling case for a national space vision to advance the American vital interests of prosperity and security. The first half of paper focuses on laying the background for the vision that follows in the second half. In the title, prosperity is listed before security since it is the reason for exploration and eventually requires protection.The paper begins with the premise that space is becoming an information center of gravity that is increasingly important to the commercial sector as well as the military. However, a major stumbling block in this transition is the lack of the means to protect orbit space systems. Without this capability, true command of space is not possible. The paper then transitions to a discourse on the current dependence on space in America. Next, the quest for wealth and information by the European powers in the second millennium is discussed. Each of these examples demonstrates a recurring cycle in their quest: knowledge, exploitation, investment, consumption and protection. This same cycle is seen in the early days of space where the focus was almost exclusively on knowledge and exploration. Several who possessed a vision to advance space were Jules Verne, Wernher von Braun and Arthur C. Clark. From the early days of space, the transition is made to reviewing a current space system, Global Positioning System, as an example of the promise of space and the current focus on investment and consumption. To make the case for protecting space assets, the role of the U.S. Navy in protecting maritime commerce is examined as well as the current threat to the space sector. The vision for space focuses on the near-term and primarily on the Air Force.