This book, first published in 1985, analyses the factors that have shaped the militarization of space. It examines in great detail the determinants of U.S. policy, and also discusses the anti-satellite capability in the 1960s of both superpowers.
This book, first published in 1985, analyses the factors that have shaped the militarization of space. By examining in great detail the determinants of U.S. policy, it explains why for over 25 years space did not become the scene of an arms race, and why this began to change in the late 1970s. Both superpowers did, however, develop a limited anti-satellite capability in the 1960s, and these programmes are also discussed.
1. Introduction 2. The Origins of the US Military Space Programme, 1945-1957 3. Eisenhower and the Space Challenge 4. Kennedy and the Years of Uncertainty 5. The Johnson Years: The Consolidation of Policy 6. US Anti-satellite Research and Development, 1957-1970 7. The New Soviet Space Challenge, 1968-1977 8. Nixon and Ford: Continuity and Change 9. Carter and the Two-Track Policy 10. US Anti-satellite Research and Development, 1971-1981 11. The Reagan Presidency: Towards an Arms Race in Space, 1981-1984 12. Conclusion