The United States Space Force: Aggressor or Peacemaker?
Former President Donald Trump created a Space Force in 2019, branding it as a “space military domain.” The agency was created for the purpose of both furthering space exploration, protecting United States satellites, and improving space technology [1]. Although the Space Force protects America and uplifts the economy, critics argue that it will escalate tensions, sparking a global arms race of space weapons [2].
Critics believe that regardless of the United States Space Force’s (USSF) intentions, the agency is perceived to have the motives of space militarization hegemony. The militarization scares other countries into further building their own capabilities, both increasing tensions and sparking an arms race [3].
Although the argument may seem to be a valid concern, deeper examination reveals its many fallacies.
1. Transparency
Unlike any other US space agency, the USSF shares its information with other countries. This transparency prevents countries from making militarization-related assumptions about the Space Force and has actually worked towards decreasing tensions. Infact, the USSF is even working on pursuing the Artemis Accords with other countries, which will work towards increasing transparency in the space domain. The Space Force is leading the new and better transparency trend, which will work towards maintaining space as a peaceful domain [4].
2. The Biden Presidency
The biggest reason the USSF is perceived to be a threat to other countries is because of falsified Trump branding [5]. That branding scares other countries into increasing their own capabilities for security and hegemony reasons. However, the United State’s new president, Joseph Biden, is focused on making peace with other countries and will change the false branding to inform other countries that the Space Force is not an aggressor [6].
3. Hegemony
Even if other countries still perceive the Space Force as a means of militarizing space, militarization is necessary for space diplomacy [7]. US adversaries such as China and Russia will always try to gain the upper hand in space, knowing the US has an advantage on land. Thus, if the Space Force sends out a message that the US will have the upper hand in space, our adversaries are more likely to stop trying to keep up and come to the table for negotiations. However, space militarization is a necessary incentive for these countries to want peace in space.
4. Military Aggression
Although some may believe that the USSF increases tensions in space, it actually decreases overall military tensions. The Space Force uses funding that is allocated from more tension-provoking military branches, thus decreasing tensions overall [6]. Without the Space Force, critics may argue that a space arms race may not occur, but countries would then just focus on responding to the threat from other, more dangerous branches of the United States military.
The Space Force is actually a step towards reducing tensions in space, changing the world for the greater good.
