communication and observation satellites was able to trace all enemy missiles
since their take-off and to exchange all flight data between space and ground continuously. A network of control centres in the Arabia Peninsula, Europe and the
US received this information and managed to calculate the incoming missile trajectories to precisely guide the Patriots to intercept and destroy them.
During that war, the never-before-heard term smart bomb
19
became popular
worldwide. It was a catchy name for a brand-new missile with GPS-assisted navigation capability that made it extremely accurate and deadly. Through mass media,
the terminology took root in a positive light. Newspapers and televisions widely
emphasized to the public opinion how, thanks to satellites, modern US weapons
could hit precise targets with very limited casualties among civilian populations.
After the Gulf War, the world realized that no nation would be geopolitically
relevant and capable of competing against the US without mastering space and
cyber technologies. The consequence has been that over the years, the defence of
US space-based assets, both civilian and military, has become an increasingly
important national security issue.
When the Shuttle Columbia disintegrated in 2003, NASA stopped all flights
and started purchasing seats onboard the Russian capsules to reach the ISS. The
emotional impact of that event, as well as the concerns about growing Chinese
space achievements, gave the US a huge sense of frustration and weakness. It
seemed like a new Sputnik moment
20
was coming. However, that sense of dismay
had little merit, as US space supremacy remained real in facts and figures. As previously mentioned, US military satellites number at around 300 – equal to all the
satellites of Russia and China combined. Moscow and Beijing would have to triple
their annual launch rate in a decade to fill the current gap.
Nevertheless, the Russians and Chinese have reached lethal anti-satellite
(ASAT) capability and seem capable of attacking US satellites in space. In 2018
President Trump asked the Pentagon to create a sixth military branch, the Space
Force,
21
to ensure complete space domination.
22
A few months earlier, the White
House had proposed to Congress a military budget of $716 billion,
23
a 7.2% raise
from the previous year, of which only $13 billion had been used to purchase satellites and launchers.
19
https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/26/science/invention-that-shaped-the-gulf-war-the-laserguided-bomb.html.
20
https://www.space.com/10437-sputnik-moment.html.
21
http://spacenews.com/trump-we-are-going-to-have-the-space-force/.
22
https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/06/18/trump-calls-for-establishment-of-u-s-space-force/.
23
https://www.defensenews.com/breaking-news/2018/02/12/pentagon-unveils-686-billionmilitary-budget-for-2019/.
Battlestar Galactica: The Space Cyberwar of the Future 105
since their take-off and to exchange all flight data between space and ground continuously. A network of control centres in the Arabia Peninsula, Europe and the
US received this information and managed to calculate the incoming missile trajectories to precisely guide the Patriots to intercept and destroy them.
During that war, the never-before-heard term smart bomb
19
became popular
worldwide. It was a catchy name for a brand-new missile with GPS-assisted navigation capability that made it extremely accurate and deadly. Through mass media,
the terminology took root in a positive light. Newspapers and televisions widely
emphasized to the public opinion how, thanks to satellites, modern US weapons
could hit precise targets with very limited casualties among civilian populations.
After the Gulf War, the world realized that no nation would be geopolitically
relevant and capable of competing against the US without mastering space and
cyber technologies. The consequence has been that over the years, the defence of
US space-based assets, both civilian and military, has become an increasingly
important national security issue.
When the Shuttle Columbia disintegrated in 2003, NASA stopped all flights
and started purchasing seats onboard the Russian capsules to reach the ISS. The
emotional impact of that event, as well as the concerns about growing Chinese
space achievements, gave the US a huge sense of frustration and weakness. It
seemed like a new Sputnik moment
20
was coming. However, that sense of dismay
had little merit, as US space supremacy remained real in facts and figures. As previously mentioned, US military satellites number at around 300 – equal to all the
satellites of Russia and China combined. Moscow and Beijing would have to triple
their annual launch rate in a decade to fill the current gap.
Nevertheless, the Russians and Chinese have reached lethal anti-satellite
(ASAT) capability and seem capable of attacking US satellites in space. In 2018
President Trump asked the Pentagon to create a sixth military branch, the Space
Force,
21
to ensure complete space domination.
22
A few months earlier, the White
House had proposed to Congress a military budget of $716 billion,
23
a 7.2% raise
from the previous year, of which only $13 billion had been used to purchase satellites and launchers.
19
https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/26/science/invention-that-shaped-the-gulf-war-the-laserguided-bomb.html.
20
https://www.space.com/10437-sputnik-moment.html.
21
http://spacenews.com/trump-we-are-going-to-have-the-space-force/.
22
https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/06/18/trump-calls-for-establishment-of-u-s-space-force/.
23
https://www.defensenews.com/breaking-news/2018/02/12/pentagon-unveils-686-billionmilitary-budget-for-2019/.
Battlestar Galactica: The Space Cyberwar of the Future 105