WI: Air space in spaaaaaaaaace!

So I've read that one of the things the Americans worried about if they launched their first satellite before the Soviets was the Soviets mounting a legal challenge to the satellite's orbit crossing through the air-space of the countries below (particularly Soviet airspace, where a spy satellite could do the best work).

So WI the worst fears of the Americans come to pass, and the idea of sovereign airspace extends out into space. How enforceable would such international norms actually be? And how much would it retard space travel?

fasquardon
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Enforceability would essentially open LEO to weaponization

So I've read that one of the things the Americans worried about if they launched their first satellite before the Soviets was the Soviets mounting a legal challenge to the satellite's orbit crossing through the air-space of the countries below (particularly Soviet airspace, where a spy satellite could do the best work).

So WI the worst fears of the Americans come to pass, and the idea of sovereign airspace extends out into space. How enforceable would such international norms actually be? And how much would it retard space travel?

fasquardon

Enforceability would essentially open LEO to weaponization, which all concerned wanted to avoid, for obvious reasons.

Best,
 
I say it would be impossible to keep satellites out of your 'space-space' using the same level of technology required to launch an orbital satellite.

And by the time technology has reached the point that this is possible, everyone will be using all kinds of orbits already, without starting World War 3, 'space-space' would be moot.
 
I say it would be impossible to keep satellites out of your 'space-space' using the same level of technology required to launch an orbital satellite.

And by the time technology has reached the point that this is possible, everyone will be using all kinds of orbits already, without starting World War 3, 'space-space' would be moot.

Are you thinking of the technology used in the guidance system or the actual a-sat rocket there?

Certainly my feeling is that an a-sat system would be prohibitively expensive. You'd need an goodly number of rockets ready at a moment's notice and able to reach a wide variety of orbits.

fasquardon
 
The Us wasnt too bothered about violating air-space back in the 50s (think recon flights), so they are unlikely to take claims to space-space too seriously.
 

Ian_W

Banned
Are you thinking of the technology used in the guidance system or the actual a-sat rocket there?

Certainly my feeling is that an a-sat system would be prohibitively expensive. You'd need an goodly number of rockets ready at a moment's notice and able to reach a wide variety of orbits.

fasquardon

Unfortunately, thats easier than you seem to think.

Especially once you start with an ICBM force that are ready at a moments notice and are, by definition, able to reach a wide variety of orbits.
 
Unfortunately, thats easier than you seem to think.

Especially once you start with an ICBM force that are ready at a moments notice and are, by definition, able to reach a wide variety of orbits.

IBCM forces are themselves prohibitively expensive though. It's just that they also allow countries operating such forces to inflict prohibitive damage as well.

I'm not sure that the damage inflicted/dollar (or rouble, or pound) spent on the a-sat system would be worth it in the early decades of the space age.

fasquardon
 
The Us wasnt too bothered about violating air-space back in the 50s (think recon flights), so they are unlikely to take claims to space-space too seriously.

That was particularly Eisenhower's reasoning for dragging his feet on a US satellite effort. While the US wasn't too bothered, everyone else WAS and specifically the Soviets. By letting them launch first they themselves set a precedent which was hard to argue against.

As a bit of a 'side-note' there's anecdotal evidence that the other reason Eisenhower blocked efforts by von Braun to "accidentally" launch a satellite to prevent the US effort being associated with an ex-Nazi. On the other hand it's quite obvious that ole Ike was totally unprepared for and didn't understand the level of "panic" that the string of Soviet space success (and public US failures) engendered in the US and the west.

Randy
 
Top