Deterrence and Space Strategy: A Framework from the Study of History and Theory

If the United States wishes to sustain the strategic advantages provided by outer space, then it needs a “way” to tailor activities across instruments of national power for space deterrence. Deterrence and Space Strategy studies the historiography of deterrence, United States deterrence policies (1950 to 1962), the historiography of the militarization of space (1940s to 1990s), and the evolution of space strategic principles for insights that built a space deterrence framework for strategists and policy makers. Its framework emphasizes the interaction of denial and punishment ideas across the competition continuum. Subsequently, activities across the instruments of national power and domains (land, sea, air, space, and cyber) converge to deter incendiary actions that could render space systems ineffective. A key implication is the United States needs to initiate or bolster space cooperation with allies, partners, and adversaries to achieve a strong denial mechanism that remains supported by a complementary punishment-threat mechanism.