Space Weapons and Arms Control

Abstract

Now, I turn to the case of space weapons and preventive arms control in space. In contrast to the case of anti-ballistic missiles, no international regime of preventive arms control can be observed here. While I explain this nonregime in Chapter 6, this chapter provides the necessary background for the analysis. I start with an introduction to the technological aspects of space weapons, trace the space weapon programs and doctrines of the superpowers during the history of the Cold War, and look at the more recent developments regarding the prospects for an arms race in outer space.