TY - CHAP
T1 - Dual Use of Space Technology
T2 - A Challenge or an Opportunity? Space Commercialization in the US After the Cold War
AU - Paikowsky, Deganit
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - This chapter explains why and how changes in the security environment after the Cold War affected the growing trend toward space commercialization in the US. The primary argument is that throughout the Cold War, the US government mainly perceived the dual-use characteristic of space technology as a threat to national security. Thus, it closely monitored technology diffusion, and commercial activity was minimal. In the decade following the end of the Cold War, the decrease in the intensity of global threats led to a reduction of overall government budgets allocated to space activities. It also waived some of the restrictions on technological diffusion. At the same time, space technology matured into a force multiplier for terrestrial military campaigns. The 1991 Operation Desert Storm (First Gulf War) demonstrated to many in the strategic community that space capabilities were highly significant for future warfare. This reasoning supported a new concept of warfare, known as the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). Dominance in space was one of its pillars, but demanded investments in force buildup. In that context, using the same technologies for both commercial and military/civil applications had the potential for more efficient and low-cost empowerment. Consequently, the US government no longer perceived dual-use space technology only as a considerable threat but also as an opportunity. The US government began to cooperate with commercial players to develop and operate advanced space technologies. This trend led to greater space commercialization.
AB - This chapter explains why and how changes in the security environment after the Cold War affected the growing trend toward space commercialization in the US. The primary argument is that throughout the Cold War, the US government mainly perceived the dual-use characteristic of space technology as a threat to national security. Thus, it closely monitored technology diffusion, and commercial activity was minimal. In the decade following the end of the Cold War, the decrease in the intensity of global threats led to a reduction of overall government budgets allocated to space activities. It also waived some of the restrictions on technological diffusion. At the same time, space technology matured into a force multiplier for terrestrial military campaigns. The 1991 Operation Desert Storm (First Gulf War) demonstrated to many in the strategic community that space capabilities were highly significant for future warfare. This reasoning supported a new concept of warfare, known as the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). Dominance in space was one of its pillars, but demanded investments in force buildup. In that context, using the same technologies for both commercial and military/civil applications had the potential for more efficient and low-cost empowerment. Consequently, the US government no longer perceived dual-use space technology only as a considerable threat but also as an opportunity. The US government began to cooperate with commercial players to develop and operate advanced space technologies. This trend led to greater space commercialization.
KW - Dual-use space technology
KW - Military-industrial complex
KW - Operation Desert Storm (First Gulf War)
KW - Post-Cold War security environment
KW - Public-Private Partnerships
KW - Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA)
KW - Space commercialization, US
KW - Technology diffusion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85212280712&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-63410-9_14
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-63410-9_14
M3 - فصل
T3 - Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology
SP - 291
EP - 306
BT - Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology
ER -