Space Power - The Next 50 Years

<p>The purpose of this paper is to investigate the next 50 years of space power by contemplating the future space superiority challenges that the US military will face. Although it will address the larger aspect of space power as it relates to all US space sectors and instruments of national power the paper is primarily concerned with strategic implications and future space superiority challenges as they relate to the US military. After providing an overview of scenario planning the paper uses a scenario planning process to frame the focal issue of space superiority describe driving forces that influence this issue develop four plausible future scenarios use those scenarios to outline some space superiority implications and strategies for the US military and finally discuss some leading indicators that may help provide early warning of whether a particular future scenario is actually approaching. Scenarios developed in this paper can be used as a framework for an interagency and multi-disciplinary strategic conversation on space superiority strategies to help ensure US freedom of action in space for the next 50 years.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>