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SEQUENCE:0
UID:UW-Physics-Event-2654
DTSTART:20120921T203000Z
DURATION:PT1H0M0S
DTSTAMP:20260420T021632Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20120912T152351Z
LOCATION:2241 Chamberlin Hall (coffee at 4:30 pm)
SUMMARY:Space Security and Missile Defense: What is at Stake?\, Physic
 s Department Colloquium\, Laura Grego\, Global Security Program\, Unio
 n of Concerned Scientists
DESCRIPTION:In February\, 2008\, the United States launched a missile 
 from an Aegis sea-based missile defense cruiser to destroy a failed in
 telligence satellite.  While framed as a public safety measure\, aEuro
 oeOperation Burnt FrostaEuro was the first time the United States had 
 intentionally destroyed a satellite since 1985\, and announced in a ve
 ry visible way the intersection of missile defense and space security.
   It also marked another point in recent escalation of tensions over s
 pace weapons and military uses of space.<br>
\n<br>
\nInterest in new 
 military uses of space has been building in the past decade\, driven i
 n part by the important role satellites have played in recent conflict
 s. New uses of space being considered include basing weapons in space 
 to attack targets on the ground and in space\, and developing weapons 
 to attack satellites. This has led to a vigorous international debate 
 about how space should be used and whether such activities are dangero
 us and should be limited.<br>
\n<br>
\nThe year after Operation Burnt 
 Frost\, the U.S. announced ambitious new plans for missile defense\, w
 hich would rely on and substantially expand and improve the system use
 d in Operation Burnt Frost.  This would also expand antisatellite capa
 bility to an unprecedented level and raise the stakes in space.  Howev
 er\, the new missile defense system\, like previous ones\, would provi
 de little or no defensive capability\, even in principle\, but would i
 ncur large security\, political\, and monetary costs.<br>
\n<br>
\nIn 
 this talk\, I will detail the technical arguments behind these judgmen
 ts as well as discuss why the space security and missile defense debat
 es are of increasing importance.<br>
\n
URL:https://www.physics.wisc.edu/events/?id=2654
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