| Publication |
2012.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The decision by the Obama Administration of the United States to include the consideration of space arms control measures is one of the latest wake-up calls for stakeholders in the space weaponization debate. Featuring the interplay between economic, political, and technical considerations, the outcome of this issue may depend on the political justifications and implications of the arguments proposed. This article uses international relations theory to analyze the assumptions behind the argument that the United States' placement of weapons in space would inevitably lead to an arms race in space. By examining the structural realist concept of stability and considering what such an arms race in space would entail, it concludes that this outcome is, at best, only probable, and that its continued use weakens the overall argument of anti-space weapons proponents. Addressing such problematic assumptions may prove important not only in strengthening the arguments of stakeholders on both sides of the issue, but also in enriching the debate and bridging perspectives on this highly polarized issue.
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