Space Warfare and Defense

This timely resource provides a history of the development of space weapons and warfare strategies and a comprehensive reference guide to the growing literature on the subject.

Space Warfare and Defense: A Historical Encyclopedia and Research Guide provides comprehensive coverage of the development of space as a possible arena for warfare, exploring the military uses of space—past, present, and future—and specific details of actual space weapons systems.

The encyclopedia spans the breadth of U.S. military space policy; comparable programs in the Soviet Union, China, and the European Union; and the full array of international agreements designed to regulate the military uses of space. In addition, the encyclopedia includes an extensive reference guide (nearly 40 percent of the book) directing readers to the essential literature on space weapons and defense systems produced by the United States, other governments, research institutions, and additional sources. At a time when space is becoming an increasingly important place of military competition and potential conflict, Space Warfare and Defense dispels the myths and examines the realities of what may become humanity’s ultimate battlefield.

• Over 375 alphabetically organized entries covering all aspects of military space initiatives, such as New World Vistas, the Air Force Counterspace Operations Doctrine, Project Corona, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, space-based infrared systems, and much more
• An exhaustive reference guide to current and historical literature on U.S., Russian, Chinese, and European military space policy and programs—an unprecedented resource for further study
• A detailed chronology of key events in the military development of space, from Eisenhower’s approval of the "U.S. Policy on Outer Space" to China’s recent launch of a military photoreconnaissance satellite
• A full glossary of terms and acronyms essential to the understanding of military space policies and technologies