On August 28, CSIS hosted Dr. Aaron Bateman, Assistant Professor of History and International Affairs at George Washington University, to discuss his recent book, Weapons in Space: Technology, Politics, and the Rise and Fall of the Strategic Defense Initiative (MIT Press, 2024).
New analysis identifies steps to improve the Department of Defense’s missile-tracking satellite constellation.
As the Department of Defense begins to deploy a space-based sensor constellation, Getting on Track unpacks the design tradeoffs involved and key pitfalls to avoid. Using advanced simulation tools, the authors underscore the necessity of diversifying satellite orbits, designing constellations for early, persistent coverage, and retaining requirements for fire-control-capable sensors.
On April 21, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have successfully launched the country’s first military satellite into orbit. According to an IRGC statement, a three-stage rocket called the “Qased” carried the “Noor” satellite to an altitude of 425 km. The launch appears to have taken place at an IRGC base near Shahroud, located about...
New missile defense plans depend upon the success or failure of one thing: a new layer of space-based sensors. At the January release of his administration’s new missile defense policy review, President Donald Trump announced the beginning of a “new era” for missile defense. To be sure, a new period of missile threats has already...
On February 19, U.S. President Donald Trump signed Space Policy Directive 4 (SPD-4), laying the foundation for a new Space Force planned to be under the administration of the Department of the Air Force. The directive states that the Space Force will initially be under the direction of the Air Force and will be led...
On February 5, Iran attempted to launch a satellite from the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Semnan province, ultimately failing to put it into orbit, according to new satellite imagery. The imagery showed a rocket on the launch pad of the space center on February 5, but imagery taken February 6 showed the launch pad...
The Trump administration has today released its long-awaited Missile Defense Review (MDR). Initiated pursuant to both congressional and presidential direction, the report represents an attempt to adapt U.S. missile defense policy, posture, and programs to the strategic environment of great power competition. The United States and its allies face a more complex and challenging aerial...
In missile defense circles, commentators frequently remark that that there are only so many islands or ships in the Pacific on which to put radars. Reading through recent missile defense budget requests, however, one is struck by the fact that the Pentagon seems to have doubled down on a strategy of building a chain of...
