Space Weapons, Are They Needed

Logsdon, John M. (Editor), and Adams, Gordon (Editor)

Published by Space Policy Institute, Washington, DC, 2003

About this Item

vi, 262, [2] pages. Highlighting/underlining. Ink notation on front cover. Cover has some wear and soiling. Ink underlining and margin.al comments noted. Space weapons are weapons used in space warfare. They include weapons that can attack space systems in orbit (i.e. anti-satellite weapons), attack targets on the earth from space or disable missiles travelling through space. In the course of the militarization of space, such weapons were developed mainly by the contesting superpowers during the Cold War, and some remain under development today. Orbital weaponry is any weapon that is in orbit around a large body such as a planet or moon. As of 2012, there are no known operative orbital weapons systems, but several nations have deployed orbital surveillance networks to observe other nations or armed forces. Several orbital weaponry systems were designed by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. During World War II Nazi Germany also was developing plans for an orbital weapon called the Sun gun. [2] Development of orbital weaponry was largely halted after the entry into force of the Outer Space Treaty and the SALT II treaty. These agreements prohibit weapons of mass destruction from being placed in space. As other weapons exist, notably those using kinetic bombardment, that would not violate these treaties, some private groups and government officials have proposed a Space Preservation Treaty which would ban the placement of any weaponry in outer space.

Seller Inventory # 71473

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Space Weapons, Are They Needed
• Publisher: Space Policy Institute, Washington, DC
• Publication Date: 2003
• Binding: Wraps
• Edition: Presumed first edition/first printing.
• Condition: Good