The question now is what happens next and how will the mandate be implemented when UN discussions on this issue resume in June. While fully autonomous weapons systems do not yet exist, experts agree that they soon will.
How to keep outer space weapons-free
The history of arms control in outer space reads like a success story. Outer space is one of the few domains of human activity in which the focus has been on prevention. Although military satellites that provide communications, remote sensing, navigation, and timing services once dominated space and continue to provide essential military services, their operations have long been considered peaceful. Those of us working in space security say that space is “militarized but not weaponized.”
The “plutonium of AI”: Facial-recognition technology
San Francisco became the first city in the United States to ban law-enforcement and government agencies from using facial-recognition technology, which identifies individuals by facial features. Civil liberties advocates hope other cities and countries will soon produce their own versions of the “Stop Secret Surveillance” ordinance.
Preserving the peace
A new space race is on. Symbolized by the historic landing of China’s robotic explorer on the far side of the Moon, the goal this time is to create a permanent human presence on the Moon and beyond.
Why the chances of conflict in outer space are going up
U.S. President Trump’s desire to create a Space Force—a new military branch focused solely on outer space operations—has drawn public attention to the prospects of warfare in a domain that has been used only for peaceful and passive purposes. Despite the provocative name, the proposed mission would in many ways be mundane: the command and control of spacecraft rather than …
The AI arms race: The Cold War mindset returns
Concerns about an artificial-intelligence (AI) arms race between advanced militaries have been raised by many experts and analysts, including SpaceX founder Elon Musk and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. Scientists and engineers are also becoming increasingly vocal in discussions on the weaponization of AI, urging governments to develop regulations to prohibit certain applications of AI in weapons technology. But they …
Under Stress: Space Security in 2017
The annual assessment of the security of outer space released at the United Nations last week warns of mounting stress from a combination of rapid technology change and geopolitical tensions. Space Security Index 2017 tracks developments and activities related to four indicators of the security of outer space – environmental sustainability, access to and use of space, technologies for space …
States Parties NPT Reports: China
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Reporting — Nuclear Weapons States 2009 Statement by the Chinese Delegation on the Issue of Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons at the Third Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 NPT Review Conference, New York, 7 May 2009. Statement by the Chinese Delegation on the Issue of Security Assurances at the Third Session of the Preparatory Committee …
Fallout from China’s Anti-Satellite Test
Author Jessica West The Ploughshares Monitor Spring 2007 Volume 28 Issue 1 On 11 January 2007 China launched a ballistic missile at one of its own aging weather satellites, intercepting and destroying it. This is the first openly conducted anti-satellite (ASAT) test since 1985, making China the third country to successfully shoot a target in space. In the context of China’s …
Concerns and Responses – A Chinese Perspective on NMD/TMD
Author Zhigang Fu Zhigang Fu 1 is First Secretary Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations, Geneva Each of the panelists at the Consultation on NATO Nuclear Policy, National Missile Defence & Alternative Security Arrangement, held in Ottawa on September 28-31, 2001, was asked to submit a short paper relating to the topic of their presentation. …