Space weapons...anyone else scared??

[Desertrose]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/SciTech/US/space_weapons_040330-1.html

Shooting Stars
U.S. Military Takes First Step Towards Weapons in Space

By Marc Lallanilla

Mar. 30 — For all of human history, people have looked at the stars with a sense of wonder. More recently, some U.S. military planners have looked skyward and seen something very different — the next battlefield.

While the military's presence in space stretches back decades, now there appears to be a new emphasis. Officials in the Bush administration and the Department of Defense are actively pursuing an agenda calling for the unprecedented weaponization of space.

The first real step in that direction appears to be coming in the form of a little-noticed weapons program at the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. The agency has now earmarked $68 million in 2005 for something called the Near Field Infrared Experiment.

The NFIRE satellite is primarily designed to gather data on exhaust plumes from rockets launched from earth, and defense officials claim it is therefore designed as a defensive, rather than offensive weapons.

But the satellite will also contain a smaller "kill vehicle," a projectile that takes advantage of the kinetic energy of objects traveling through low-Earth orbit (which move at several times the speed of a bullet) to disable or destroy an oncoming missile or another orbiting satellite.

As one senior government official and defense expert described the program, which has seen cost-related delays and increased congressional scrutiny: "We're crossing the Rubicon into space weaponization."

<snip>

The missile agency was reborn from the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, with a mission to develop integrated missile defense systems, including the use of space-based platforms.

But the agency's program is far from the only effort to bring weapons to space.

<snip>

This is very very scary.......

Peace
DR

[redqueen]

1. I think all Kucinich supporters have the same visceral reaction you did

Growing militarization is something we all should be working against.

[Desertrose]

5. I know...and they will tell us its to make us safer...

safer from who?? ( or is that whom?)

Dennis had initiated a bill on space weapons...I know some people here on DU even made fun of it :eyes: I know hard to believe,huh?


Thing is...once those things are up there...we are screwed...bad enough to fight on the planet but to take it outside our "city limits"? hooo dawgie, DUMB move...really really dumb...unless you WANT to end life on this planet as we know it.... :shrug:


*sigh*

Peace..as above so below....
DR

[redqueen]

10. Yes, it is sad

It's one thing for a bill banning unneeded and harmful weapons to be mocked by the militaristic right wing, but when it comes from the left, you know you're in deep, deep trouble. If that bill had passed, we wouldn't be reading this article.

Peace indeed,
RQ

[ihaveaquestion]

2. Don't worry about it.

It'll never work well enough to make it feasible.

[Snow]

3. This has been going on for decades......

the beam weapons that Raygun & his pal Edward Teller were so enamored of, for example, were much better aimed against ground targets than as missle defense. On theother hand, I was reading somewhere recently that orbital nuke launch pads were really less useful than ground/sea launchers. DOn't quite recall the rationale, it had something to do with both speed and visibility.

[NoMoreRedInk]

4. Somebody was going to be first

I don't like it either, but who would you choose to be the inevitable first weaponizer of space?

[Desertrose]

6. my choice would be no one

my choice would be that we work togehter and solve the shit we started here on the surface before we take it off the earth.

Perhaps a group of countries workin gtogether...but then...we wouldn't need weapons in space to control & conquer other countries if we worked together, would we??

Maybe we should work on a protection grid or something for incomingspace debris/comets/asteroids?? or a space station to learn more about deep sapce...well I'm sure I could come up with a lot more ideas that weapons.....

but hey, thats just me...one insignificant woman who wants to save her planet...

Peace
DR

[redqueen]

11. There aren't many options

It would be one of the few countries now able to send things into orbit. As the world's economic and military superpower (are we still?), we'd have enormous advantage in discouraging this from being done by other countries.

IF we wanted to avoid it, that is. Which apparently most don't.

:(

[DarkPhenyx]

7. Scared? Not particularly.

It really isn't anything that much worse than anything else going on.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

8. read this Kucinich "Space Preservation Act 2001"

HR 2977 HI ....to keep weapons out of space...

http://www.fas.org/sgp/congress/2001/hr2977.html


HR 2977 IH


107th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2977
To preserve the cooperative, peaceful uses of space for the benefit of all humankind by permanently prohibiting the basing of weapons in space by the United States, and to require the President to take action to adopt and implement a world treaty banning space-based weapons.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 2, 2001
Mr. KUCINICH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and International Relations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A BILL
To preserve the cooperative, peaceful uses of space for the benefit of all humankind by permanently prohibiting the basing of weapons in space by the United States, and to require the President to take action to adopt and implement a world treaty banning space-based weapons.


Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Space Preservation Act of 2001'.

SEC. 2. REAFFIRMATION OF POLICY ON THE PRESERVATION OF PEACE IN SPACE.

Congress reaffirms the policy expressed in section 102(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (42 U.S.C. 2451(a)), stating that it `is the policy of the United States that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind.'.

SEC. 3. PERMANENT BAN ON BASING OF WEAPONS IN SPACE.

The President shall--

(1) implement a permanent ban on space-based weapons of the United States and remove from space any existing space-based weapons of the United States; and

(2) immediately order the permanent termination of research and development, testing, manufacturing, production, and deployment of all space-based weapons of the United States and their components.

SEC. 4. WORLD AGREEMENT BANNING SPACE-BASED WEAPONS.

The President shall direct the United States representatives to the United Nations and other international organizations to immediately work toward negotiating, adopting, and implementing a world agreement banning space-based weapons.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

The President shall submit to Congress not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, a report on--

(1) the implementation of the permanent ban on space-based weapons required by section 3; and

(2) progress toward negotiating, adopting, and implementing the agreement described in section 4.

SEC. 6. NON SPACE-BASED WEAPONS ACTIVITIES.

Nothing in this Act may be construed as prohibiting the use of funds for--

(1) space exploration;

(2) space research and development;

(3) testing, manufacturing, or production that is not related to space-based weapons or systems; or

(4) civil, commercial, or defense activities (including communications, navigation, surveillance, reconnaissance, early warning, or remote sensing) that are not related to space-based weapons or systems.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) The term `space' means all space extending upward from an altitude greater than 60 kilometers above the surface of the earth and any celestial body in such space.

(2)(A) The terms `weapon' and `weapons system' mean a device capable of any of the following:

(i) Damaging or destroying an object (whether in outer space, in the atmosphere, or on earth) by--

(I) firing one or more projectiles to collide with that object;

(II) detonating one or more explosive devices in close proximity to that object;

(III) directing a source of energy (including molecular or atomic energy, subatomic particle beams, electromagnetic radiation, plasma, or extremely low frequency (ELF) or ultra low frequency (ULF) energy radiation) against that object; or

(IV) any other unacknowledged or as yet undeveloped means.

(ii) Inflicting death or injury on, or damaging or destroying, a person (or the biological life, bodily health, mental health, or physical and economic well-being of a person)--

(I) through the use of any of the means described in clause (i) or subparagraph (B);

(II) through the use of land-based, sea-based, or space-based systems using radiation, electromagnetic, psychotronic, sonic, laser, or other energies directed at individual persons or targeted populations for the purpose of information war, mood management, or mind control of such persons or populations; or

(III) by expelling chemical or biological agents in the vicinity of a person.

(B) Such terms include exotic weapons systems such as--

(i) electronic, psychotronic, or information weapons;

(ii) chemtrails;

(iii) high altitude ultra low frequency weapons systems;

(iv) plasma, electromagnetic, sonic, or ultrasonic weapons;

(v) laser weapons systems;

(vi) strategic, theater, tactical, or extraterrestrial weapons; and

(vii) chemical, biological, environmental, climate, or tectonic weapons.

(C) The term `exotic weapons systems' includes weapons designed to damage space or natural ecosystems (such as the ionosphere and upper atmosphere) or climate, weather, and tectonic systems with the purpose of inducing damage or destruction upon a target population or region on earth or in space.

[bif]

9. I'm scared by how they can piss away even more money we don't have

[redqueen]

12. The MIC has been looting our treasury for decades

I think it's about time that more than just the peace movement started calling them on it and helping to stop it.

[G_j]

13. I attended a lecture on space weapons

a few years ago and saw a lot of the promo literature put out by weapons companies. This is no joke, the usual suspects are pushing hard to cash in on the 'new frontier' and these are some very scary weapons they are developing.

[Bill McBlueState]

14. There's a talk about this issue today in Northampton, MA

If any of you who are concerned about space weapons live in the area (western MA, southern VT, etc.) there's a talk about space weapons at Smith College this evening:

*****Talk at Smith College, Wednesday, March 31*****

"Science, Integrity, and a Secure World: The Role of Science in Public Policy"
Dr. Laura Grego, Union of Concerned Scientists
Wednesday March 31, 8 PM, Campus Center 205


Abstract:
From addressing global warming, to managing the AIDS crisis, to
preventing nuclear terrorism, governments rely on scientific research to
form sound policy. But when science is misused or results suppressed,
poor decisions and serious consequences may follow. This is the impetus
for Union of Concerned Scientists' new "Restoring Scientific Integrity"
project. Moving from the general to the specific, we will look closely
at outer space policy, which is at an important crossroads. This
administration has accelerated our pace towards two new "firsts"-- the
first human on Mars and the first space weapon. Are these two goals
compatible? Are the programs scientifically sound? What will be their
impact on science and on security?

Bio:
Dr. Laura Grego joined the Global Security staff at the Union of
Concerned Scientists in September 2002. Her research focuses mainly on
the militarization and weaponization of space. Her other interests are
nuclear arms control and national security policy. Prior to joining UCS,
Dr. Grego was a postdoctoral research scholar in the High Energy
Astrophysics division at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics. She holds a Ph.D. in physics from the California Institute
of Technology and a B.S. in physics/astronomy from the University of
Michigan.

[Moderator]

15. Desertrose

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
news source.

Thank you.

DU Moderator

[cheezus]

16. well, considering how well these weapons work

not scared at all

[redqueen]

17. How about how much money they divert

which could be spent on education, infrastructure, etc. ?