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    Kenneth T. Davis, PhD-Chairman of the Board of Regents, BIED Society
    BIED Society
    Dash  ·  
    Oct 16, 2020

    Space Defense

    in The Center for Space Policy

    International Affairs Academy, Document of the Day - Free Professional Development

    It's an exciting time to study Space. Technology is advancing so quickly that it requires anticipating what will come next and estimating how behavior will be impacted. With the private sector entering into the Space business, government has new creative and efficient options. Please join our conversation. We want to learn from you.



    87 comments
    87 Comments

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    Roy Rashke
    Nov 06, 2020
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    Governments have sought the help of its citizens for years. The best example is when Britain published codes and puzzles in the newspaper as a contest to see who would be best suited for their secret project, which now we know was, Breaking the German enigma machine. This would be along the same lines, having the public try to solve a problem plaguing a huge community. The whole premise of having a lunar base is such a strategic and groundbreaking task to achieve. I think that with the founding of the US Space Force, The US has a good chance of figuring out this potential problem or situation but with the help of the public, it would be much easier as the public often comes to conclusions that many government officials cannot see. This might be in part to the public seeing this as a challenge and a game, so they are willing to act out of normal parameters to gain a successful “mission”. Space’s atmosphere is harsh to many earthly objects so a potential problem would be finding some way to mitigate the effects of spaces’ corrosive nature. Also just for fun, I am attaching the codes Britain sent out to gain participants for the enigma group.

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    Jay Rosato
    Nov 06, 2020
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    Replying to

    Tapping into the general public is a good method to solve issues and recruit the future generation of researchers and officials. And by making it seem like a game and offering a cash prize, they can be sure that they will get some good responses to the challenges posed. The internet has made crowdsourcing ideas An possible example of this is the Cicada 3301 Puzzle. This was a series of puzzles originating from the internet that briefly took the internet by storm. No one is certain where the puzzle originated from, though some have suspected that due to the wide range of skills required to solve the puzzle and the sheer complexity of it that it may have been a recruitment effort by an intelligence agency, such as MI6 or the NSA. Though this remains unproven, it certainly demonstrates the potential for more crowdsourcing to solve issues in the internet era.



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    Nathan Danko
    Nov 06, 2020
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    I have been trying to follow NASA’s future plans for some time now. I find myself genuinely excited at the prospect of a lunar base in my lifetime. The Artemis program is something I am extremely hopeful about. My expertise is not the most transferable to designing robust cargo systems for lunar deployment. However, I can argue on the value of ensuring robust cybersecurity to protect the intellectual assets associated with this challenge. Losing the cargo-handling system designs and blueprints to cyberespionage would cause significant erosion of the US space power. It is paramount that those involved with the design of these systems are well protected from cyberspace actors. I am sure that designing and testing these systems require significant internet-based resources. After reading the challenge in full, I do not believe my experience with auto-CAD is going to be enough when it comes to designing a cargo-handling system. I am glad to see that NASA is hosting challenges like this. I hope to see an update of their work.

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    Jay Rosato
    Nov 06, 2020
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    Replying to

    I agree with you completely. Any modern space transportation system will likely involve immense amounts of automated processes and computing technologies. As such, much like maritime cargo handling systems on earth, they will be potentially vulnerable to cyberattacks. While perhaps not for this specific challenge, this is something that NASA and private companies will need to consider when creating these logistical systems.


    Much like you, I don't think any of my experience is transferable to this project, and I cannot even think about ways we might get past most of these challenges. But I am still curious to see more updates on this competition. I would really like to see who wins and what design they come up with. Whatever it is I'm sure it will be an insightful design. We should know by late January of next year.

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    Madeline Smith
    Nov 06, 2020
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    Replying to

    What you said about protecting the cybersecurity of this project makes quite a bit of sense. Because the US and China have been competing in the scientific sector for quite some time I picture the technology that is created for the Artemis program to be highly valuable. This couples with the fact that China is notorious for stealing intellectual property and, like we have talked about before, is even specifically recruiting scientists to do that. The security of this innovation will surely be a very exigent focus for NASA's cybersecurity teams for the coming years.

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    Jay Rosato
    Nov 06, 2020
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    I really like the idea behind this challenge. One thing that came up in the key virtual training a couple of weeks ago was the question of how we would supply a theoretical lunar base, and it seems as though NASA is taking this question seriously. Honestly, the idea of having to transport and unload supplies to the moon is not one that I would have thought of.


    The environment on the moon poses many significant challenges to the movement of materials from the surface of the earth to the surface of the moon. There is less gravity on the moon, for starters, which I imagine would make porting any system on Earth to the moon very challenging. Beyond that, the environment on the moon is subject to micrometeor blasts and extreme temperature variations, meaning that any structures or systems for unloading cargo would need to able to withstand some force and pressure. The variation in the size and mass of the transported objects also poses a challenge, as any theoretical system would need to be incredibly adaptable.


    Then there are also very minute challenges. For example, drilling on the moon is challenging due to the lack of air on the moon, which can increase friction and generate massive amounts of heat, possibly causing the fusion of the drill bit to fuse with the rock. Then there is also the issue that excess movement of any material may kick up dust, which could contaminate machinery and potentially be toxic to workers.


    An interesting idea that this article brought up was that a potential space transportation system could be built on roads. In this line of thought perhaps building some kind of platform (shipping it from earth to the moon?) to load and unload cargo could limit the challenges posed by dust. Or perhaps a system that does not include any surface contact could be helpful.


    I really have no idea as to whether or not a system that is transported with each payload or one that sits permanently on the moon is better. And if we were to add a system that includes landing point to point of use transportation, that adds an additional dynamic into the whole thing. And of course, if this system is to be used by multiple countries, it would require an impressive amount of standardization between spacecraft and cargo storage.


    I am not an engineer, and I have a very hard time visualizing any system that could adapt to all of these issues. I am curious to see if anyone else has any ideas for how to adapt to any of these solutions.

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    Madeline Smith
    Nov 06, 2020
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    Replying to

    That article is very interesting and I think does a very good job exemplifying all of the reasons that this job is a very difficult one. The conditions that differ from the Earth's atmosphere to the Moon create a hurdle that is going to take serious consideration to clear. Something I found interesting about the UAE's Mars 2117 mission is that they are using the treacherous conditions of their nearby deserts to make a training facility. The UAE is creating a facility of three domes called the Mars Scientific City with walls 3D printed from the desert sand. Although Mars and the Moon are very different topically I found the idea of creating a practice type facility very interesting.

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    Madeline Smith
    Nov 06, 2020
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    The conquest to build a base camp on the moon is very ambitious but could be highly beneficial for space science and innovation. Sending several payloads of materials to prepare for development is an innovative idea though dealing with the conditions of the Moon will make this task very difficult. As the article mentions there is no atmosphere, large variations in temperature, uneven terrain, aggressive dust, and reduced gravity. Striving to build a camp on the Moon seems like a logical next step to me, and far more practical than the United Arab Emirates' Mars 2117 plan to create a civilization of 600,000 people on Mars.


    The most specific goal for the Artemis camp after it is built includes sustainably exploring the Moon. This more permanent camp will also allow NASA to send astronauts around every year to familiarize themselves with their work and allow them to stay for up to two months. Scientists are hoping that this level of comfort will allow astronauts to open up and study and explore past what their boundaries would have been otherwise. The base camp will be placed on the South polar side of the Moon that remains heavily unexplored, further motivating this program's success.


    NASA's extension of an opportunity for people to submit plans for the unloading system is in line with other goals we have read about in space science documents for the United States. Not only is this project engaging citizens, but also is contracted through several private sector companies, Blue Origin, Dynetics, and SpaceX. Engagement with United States companies supports the economic growth of the technology sector as well as maintains positive venues for innovation between the public and private sectors as well as furthers the capabilities of both.

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    Jay Rosato
    Nov 06, 2020
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    Replying to

    I agree with you that the moon is a far more realistic goal than mars at the moment. At its closest, Mars is still nearly 100x further away from Earth than the moon is. We first must master the logistics of transporting materials about 240,000 miles before we think about moving them over 30 million miles.


    Even so, this is still a monumental challenge. Every single stage of transportation of equipment from the minute it leaves earth to put it in place will be new territory for technology. Not to mention that, as you bring up, being away from earth for so long will lead to issues of homesickness and potential health issues from being away from earth's gravity for so long. But it is good that NASA is working with private companies and the public at large to figure out solutions to these challenges.

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    Madeline Smith
    Nov 06, 2020
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    Replying to

    @Jay Rosato I predict that because the timelines of the UAE and the USA's missions are so different (4 years vs 98) the UAE will mirror the same strategy they did for their current Mars mission. They will likely enlist US engineers to aid them in their progress of developing a civilization on another planet and therefore benefit from whatever technologies are submitted for the Artemis program.

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    Roy Rashke
    Oct 30, 2020
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    Reading today’s reading was super interesting. I completely agree with Acting deputy assistant secretary Johnson on the grounds that the United States’ Space strategy would build and foster a strong military advantage in space. This is not a new arena for the US, The air force has been sending people to space for many years this new strategy would just dedicate people to solely work on space projects thus making our space program more momentous. The United States could make great strides in the area of climate control or research regarding the ecosystems if we utilize the fourth pillar and work with allies, partners, industry and other US agencies. Tis like I stated yesterday could be along the same lines as the UAE’s plan to research weather satellites to help track arctic thaw. As the world changes, new strategies must be enacted to ensure compliance with national security expectations and also ecological demands. The third pillar of integration of space in the joint forces and allies and partners could do some major good in the United States as much of our daily lives revolve around technology and Space could be used to place more satellites in and create a network of devices to help the world as a whole to be better interconnected. With more interconnectivity, banking would be easier as systems would be connected, healthcare could extend to hard to reach areas via telemedicine and satellite uplinks as well as communication with distant partners either for personal or business reasons. In essence, Space could open up new avenues to improve not only the US’s defense but also improve citizen’s lives.

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    Jay Rosato
    Oct 30, 2020
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    Replying to

    I agree with you that strong cooperation will be an essential part of our space program. Sharing data, research, and space networks could increase benefits to people all over the world. I also like that you bring up the health implications of satellites. A big problem in Africa is getting healthcare to rural areas where infrastructure is often very poor and conflict may be present. The potential for technology to help provide more people with better care is something that is being pursued across the African continent. I am sure that this is an area where the US and the global community could offer some expertise to improve wellbeing around the world.

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    Roy Rashke
    Oct 30, 2020
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    Replying to

    @Jay Rosato I greatly concur with you sir. The fact that health care is often very poor in rural areas, satellite technology could help. In essence, humanitarian efforts could be used to build an uplink and place health points around the countries of Africa and other challenged countries so that people would have an easier time gaining access. On another note, with the growing sophistication of technology and in turn the growing availability to hack said technology, @Nathan Danko what do you believe could be done to try and mitigate risks of hacking for potential remote telemedicine technologies?

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    Justin Spusta
    Oct 30, 2020
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    Space becoming a recent frontier for military strategy and defense is an interesting development. Much of our information technology and communication relies on satelitte technology in space. If a foreign actor wanted to sabotage the US or its allies' communications, satelittes in space would be a suitable target. This is why Space Force is a necessary development for the US defense strategy. Countries such as China and Russia which have space capabilites equal to ours play an important role in our defense strategy regarding space, while countries like Iran who are eager to develop technologies to interfere with US defense also must be considered. Given that the United Arab Emirates is developing an advanced space program, in part to counter Iran's capabilities, I wonder if space technology and space military capabilites will be the next proliferation issue. While the "space race" of the 1960s and 1970s accelerated space technology, it was limited to only Russia and the US and, as far as I am aware, did not prioritize military capabilites in space.

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    Jay Rosato
    Oct 30, 2020
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    Replying to

    The idea of space proliferation is fascinating to think about. Especially if each of these nations begins developing military capabilities in space. Perhaps we should begin thinking about international laws or guidelines to monitor this proliferation. Or perhaps this is even more incentive for nations to cooperate with each other on their space endeavors.

    This will be especially interesting to watch with regard to the space debris issue. Most of the strategic documents we have looked at thus far have talked about "protecting the space environment." But if every nation has its own space program and is launching their own satellites and probes, this may get very challenging very fast.

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    Jay Rosato
    Oct 30, 2020
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    Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Johnson made a solid case for giving the Space Force a more prominent seat at the table. Space is an incredibly important part of our economy, and we rely on satellites for everyday tasks, such as navigating to work, watching the news, or performing business communications. As Johnson said, "Our $20 trillion U.S. economy runs on space."

    This could be a reason to move them out from under the Department of the Air Force and grant them their own distinct seat within the Department of Defense. this would increase their influence and get them closer to the ears of the president.


    However, it could also be argued that the Space Force is too young and still too reliant on the Air Force to justify such a drastic reorganization of the Department of Defense. As was brought up previously in the space discussion, the Space Force still relies on many air force personnel for conducting day to day operations. But as we have also discussed, the point of the Space Force was to create specialists in space and give them a seat at the decision-making table. As such, ultimately I see the best move in the future to be to grant them their own department. This way, these specialists can have their voices heard, and we can be assured that space interests are being taken into account. Which is why we made the space force in the first place.

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    Madeline Smith
    Oct 30, 2020
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