SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Skye Cooley (Oklahoma State University) as part of its SMA Contested Space Operations: Space Defense, Deterrence, and Warfighting (Space) Speaker Series.

SMA hosted a panel discussion as a part of its SMA Space Speaker Series. The panelists for this session included Dr. Bleddyn Bowen (University of Leicester), Dr. Mark Hilborne (King’s College London), and moderator Dr. Nicholas Wright (Intelligent Biology; Georgetown University). Dr. Bowen first provided an overview of UK government and commercial space capabilities.

SMA hosted a speaker session presented by Dr. Kazuto Suzuki (Public Policy School of Hokkaido University, Japan) as a part of its SMA Space Speaker Series. Dr. Suzuki began the session by discussing the importance, indispensability, and vulnerability of space systems, as well as the difficulty of defending and deterring attacks on these systems.

SMA hosted a speaker session presented by Dr. James Acton (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) as a part of its SMA Space Speaker Series. Dr. Acton’s talk focused on two findings: 1) Nuclear weapons and their command-and-control (C3I) systems are becoming increasingly entangled with non nuclear capabilities, and 2) many of the satellites used for nuclear C3I are dual-use and are increasingly becoming vulnerable to damage during a conflict involving either nuclear or non nuclear weapons.

SMA hosted a speaker session presented by Ms. Theresa Hitchens (Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland [CISSM]) as a part of its SMA Space Speaker Series.

SMA hosted a panel discussion focused on a recently-published white paper as a part of its SMA Space Speaker Series. Presenters included Mr. Dean Cheng (Heritage Foundation), Lt Col Peter Garretson (US Air Force), Dr. Namrata Goswami (Independent Analyst), Mr. Bruce MacDonald (Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies), Dr. Brian Weeden (Secure World Foundation), and Dr. Nicholas Wright (Intelligent Biology / Georgetown University).

SMA hosted a speaker session presented by Dr. Nicholas Wright (Intelligent Biology / Georgetown University) as a part of its SMA Space Speaker Series. Dr. Wright began by posing a question: “How do we create power in space?” He then stated that strategy is the art of creating power in space and that creating this power is fundamentally cognitive, requires both influence and control, and is dependent on the environment. Dr. Wright explained that US (space) decision makers need to think from the “outside in,” meaning that they should place the audience’s decision-making process at the heart of influence. They must also take culture seriously, for example, by considering if strategic thinking differs between China and the US due to cultural differences, and positing the key cognitive foundations that underlie deterrence, escalation management, offense, and defense in space. He then reviewed all of the key factors and associated cognitive foundations that are crucial for successful space operations. Dr. Wright concluded the session by discussing the role of space in gray zone conflicts.

SMA hosted a speaker session presented by Dr. Laura Grego (Union of Concerned Scientists) as a part of its SMA Space Speaker Series. Dr. Grego first outlined the various types of missile defenses and explained that “because long-range ballistic missiles travel at speeds and altitudes comparable to those of satellites, missile defense systems designed to target them have inherent capabilities as ASAT weapons.” She then talked about two forms of kinetic energy interceptors and stated that existing US ground- and sea-based missile defense systems are “projected to grow significantly within the next decade and will, in theory, be able hold at risk nearly all Chinese and Russian satellites in low-earth orbits, which has serious implications for stability and security in space.” To conclude the session, Dr. Grego discussed potential solutions and strategies to diminish the problematic effects of missile defense development.