Space Power and Trajectory of U.S. Influence in Space

Takuya Wakimoto is a M.A. student in International Science and Technology Policy program at the Elliott School of International Affairs. Before pursuing a master’s degree, he worked in the aerospace division at IHI Corporation in Japan for more than four years, where he gained expertise about how national defense policies affect the industry. He has interned at the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization in the Air Navigation Bureau as a commercial space policy researcher and at the Hudson Institute in the Center for Political-Military Analysis as a non-resident researcher. He has a bachelor’s degree in Policy Studies from Kwansei Gakuin University Japan. ABSTRACT The United States has utilized the space domain to enhance national security and to improve national prestige. However, a growing number of governmental and commercial participants in the space domain are creating complications and increasing risks such as collisions with space objects or debris. This trend pressures the United States to find ways to protect and preserve its valuable assets in space. It is, therefore, necessary for the U.S. to acquire capabilities to manage and control the space domain. Historically, control of a domain was pursued through military capabilities such as sea, air, or land powers; however, space power is yet an undefined concept. This article explores the historical development of space technologies in the context of national security, how we should approach the undefined concept of space power, and the policies the U.S. should pursue to advance its interests in space.Click here to access the full article online and continue reading.This article was published in our Summer 2019 issue. Latest issues of the journal are available in the Gelman Library and can also be downloaded from our website.