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SEQUENCE:0
UID:UW-Physics-Event-2654
DTSTART:20120921T203000Z
DURATION:PT1H0M0S
DTSTAMP:20240319T125648Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20120912T152351Z
LOCATION:2241 Chamberlin Hall (coffee at 4:30 pm)
SUMMARY:Space Security and Missile Defense: What is at Stake?\, Physic
s Department Colloquium\, Laura Grego\, Global Security Program\, Unio
n of Concerned Scientists
DESCRIPTION:In February\, 2008\, the United States launched a missile
from an Aegis sea-based missile defense cruiser to destroy a failed in
telligence satellite. While framed as a public safety measure\, aEuro
oeOperation Burnt FrostaEuro was the first time the United States had
intentionally destroyed a satellite since 1985\, and announced in a ve
ry visible way the intersection of missile defense and space security.
It also marked another point in recent escalation of tensions over s
pace weapons and military uses of space.
\n
\nInterest in new
military uses of space has been building in the past decade\, driven i
n part by the important role satellites have played in recent conflict
s. New uses of space being considered include basing weapons in space
to attack targets on the ground and in space\, and developing weapons
to attack satellites. This has led to a vigorous international debate
about how space should be used and whether such activities are dangero
us and should be limited.
\n
\nThe year after Operation Burnt
Frost\, the U.S. announced ambitious new plans for missile defense\, w
hich would rely on and substantially expand and improve the system use
d in Operation Burnt Frost. This would also expand antisatellite capa
bility to an unprecedented level and raise the stakes in space. Howev
er\, the new missile defense system\, like previous ones\, would provi
de little or no defensive capability\, even in principle\, but would i
ncur large security\, political\, and monetary costs.
\n
\nIn
this talk\, I will detail the technical arguments behind these judgmen
ts as well as discuss why the space security and missile defense debat
es are of increasing importance.
\n
URL:https://www.physics.wisc.edu/events/?id=2654
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