Beyond the Paths of Heaven the Emergence of Space Power Thought

606 Pages·1999·6.715 MB·English

by  Bruce M. DeBlois (ed.)

Beyond the Paths of Heaven
The Emergence of Space Power Thought
A Comprehensive Anthology
of Space-Related Master’s Research
Produced by the
School of Advanced Airpower Studies
Edited by
Bruce M. DeBlois, Colonel, USAF
Professor of Air and Space Technology
Air University Press
Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
September 1999
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Beyond the paths of heaven : the emergence of space power thought : a comprehensive
anthology of space-related master’s research / edited by Bruce M. DeBlois.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Astronautics, Military. 2. Astronautics, Military—United States. 3. Space
Warfare. 4. Air University (U.S.). Air Command and Staff College. School of
Advanced Airpower Studies-
-Dissertations. I. Deblois, Bruce M., 1957-
UG1520.B48 1999 99-35729
358’ .8—dc21 CIP
ISBN 1-58566-067-1
Disclaimer
Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Air University, the United States Air Force,
the Department of Defense, or any other US government agency. Cleared for public release:
distribution unlimited.
ii
Contents
Chapter Page
DISCLAIMER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
PART I
Space Organization, Doctrine, and Architecture
1 An Aerospace Strategy for an Aerospace Nation . . 3
Stephen E. Wright
2 After the Gulf War: Balancing Space Power’s
Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Frank Gallegos
3 Blueprints for the Future: Comparing National
Security Space Architectures . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Christian C. Daehnick
PART II
Sanctuary/Survivability Perspectives
4 Safe Heavens: Military Strategy and Space
Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
David W. Ziegler
PART III
Space Control Perspectives
5 Counterspace Operations for Information
Dominance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
James G. Lee
iii
Chapter Page
6 When the Enemy Has Our Eyes . . . . . . . . . . 303
Cynthia A. S. McKinley
PART IV
High-Ground Perspectives
7 National Security Implications of Inexpensive
Space Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
William W. Bruner III
8 Concepts of Operations for a Reusable Launch
Space Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Michael A. Rampino
9 The Inherent Limitations of Space Power: Fact
or Fiction? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507
Gregory Billman
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569
Illustrations
Figure
1 World Market Share of Large Jet Airplane
Deliveries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2 Space System Cycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
3 Offensive Counterspace Options . . . . . . . . . 285
4 Offensive Counterspace Options for
Tier-One Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
5 Offensive Counterspace Options for
Tier-Two Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
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Figure Page
6 Offensive Counterspace Options for
Tier-Three Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
7 The Dual Track Technology Progression
(Film-Based and Digital Processing) . . . . . . . . 310
8 Warfare—the Human Expression of
the Battle for Ascendancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
9 The Forms of Modern Warfare
(Categorized by Mankind’s Development
of Group Lethality Tools) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
10 SPOT Control and Data Reception Network . . . . 341
11 Current RLV Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
12 Cumulative 2,000-Pound Weapons Delivery
within Three Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
13 Space Regions and Environs . . . . . . . . . . . 518
14 Earth and Moon Gravity Wells . . . . . . . . . . 519
15 Continuum of Operations and Characteristics
of Home-Based Terrestrial Forces . . . . . . . . . 529
16 Continuum of Operations and Characteristics
of Deployed Terrestrial Forces . . . . . . . . . . . 532
17 Continuum of Operations and Characteristics
of Engaged Terrestrial Forces . . . . . . . . . . . 536
18 Continuum of Operations and Characteristics
of Space Power versus Terrestrial Forces . . . . . 543
Table
1 Aerospace Industry Sales
(millions of current dollars) . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
v
Table Page
2 Trade Balance of Selected Commodities
(billions of dollars) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3 US Government Research and Development
Expenditures (millions of current dollars) . . . . . 12
4 Changing Aircraft Production Costs . . . . . . . . 35
5 USSPACECOM Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
6 USCENTCOM Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
7 Persian Gulf War Space Power Shortcomings
and Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8 Advantages of Space Systems . . . . . . . . . . . 109
9 Perceived Disadvantages of Space Systems . . . . 111
10 Space System Terms and Definitions . . . . . . . 112
11 Space Architecture Elements . . . . . . . . . . . 114
12 Space Architecture Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . 115
13 Command-Oriented Architecture Priorities . . . . 118
14 Demand-Oriented Architecture Priorities . . . . . 119
15 Space Architecture Determinants . . . . . . . . . 131
16 Constellation Implications, Command-Oriented
Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
17 Launch Vehicle Implications, Command-Oriented
Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
18 Constellation Implications, Demand-Oriented
Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
19 Launch Vehicle Implications, Demand-Oriented
Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
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Table Page
20 Theater RSTA Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
21 Theater RSTA Qualitative Requirements . . . . . 140
22 Command-Oriented Architecture for RSTA
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
23 Demand-Oriented Architecture for RSTA
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
24 Space-Capable Nations by Tier Groups . . . . . . 257
25 Existing and Projected Landsat Ground
Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
26 Existing and Projected SPOT Ground Stations . . 261
27 Qualitative Measures of Various Civilian Satellite
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
28 Ground Resolution Requirements for Object
Identification (in meters) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
29 Landsat and SPOT Spectral Band Applications
(in microns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
30 Civil/Military Uses of Multispectral Imagery . . . 270
31 Planned Imagery Systems 1995–2000 . . . . . . . 329
32 Resolution Required for Specific Military Tasks . . 331
33 Some Means of Denial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
34 SPOT Direct Receiving Stations . . . . . . . . . . 340
35 Attributes of Proposed RLV Concepts and
One Popular TAV Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
36 Summary of Attributes of a Notional RLV . . . . . 452
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Table Page
37 CONOPS A and B RLV Capabilities . . . . . . . . 454
38 Cumulative 2,000-Pound Weapons Delivery
within Three Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
39 Summary of Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
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Overview
Bruce M. DeBlois
Major issues have plagued the US military space
community for years. Foremost among these issues is the
relationship between air and space. At a recent airpower
conference, military leaders from the western powers
presented discussions of airpower and space issues with a
pervasive underlying assumption: that the next logical step
from the exploitation of airpower and space capabilities was
the merging of the two environments toward the exploitation
of “aerospace” power.1 The current distinction between air and
space rests on the fiscal and technical inability to merge
them—an inability that is soon to be overcome. Conferees
dismissed environmental distinctions between the two on the
grounds that there is no absolute boundary between air and
space.2 In Paths of Heaven, the chapter titled “Ascendant
Realms: Characteristics of Air and Space Power,” I examine
this assumption from the perspective of 21 different military
characteristics and conclude it to be invalid. The reasons
extend well beyond an inability—fiscally and technically—to
merge the two realms.
Similarities based upon functions and the lack of a distinct
boundary are offset by distinctions in the physical
environments. The physical laws of air and space are
profoundly different. A vehicle flying on a cushion of air is not
equivalent to a vehicle in free-fall orbit. Aside from the issue of
access due to huge differences in energy requirements, the
airborne vehicle is maneuverable and allows for flexible
operations while the space-borne platform is fixed to a
high-velocity orbital path. The latter expends little energy to
stay in a fixed orbital position, allowing it a duration
capability well beyond airborne vehicles. The issue is not
whether the two environments can be merged technically, but
given that they can be merged, should they be merged. An
analogy is useful to illustrate the argument.
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