The Military Geography of the Solar System - Paperback

by Walter J. Gomez (Author)

This a book about military operations in outer space in the middle of the 21st century. Using the experience of military aerospace operations on earth, and the history of NASA space exploration during the past half-century, the author looks into the future to describe what military operations will look like in the middle of the 21st century. The model of military geography is used to explain how both natural and cultural environmental factors will affect military space operations, in the interplanetary medium and on the planetary bodies. On another dimension: it is shown that the "battles" in space wars will be fought along the electromagnetic spectrum, the gravitational field, and cyberspace. It is likely that by the year 2060 there will be human outposts throughout the solar system. Some of these already exist in the form of the International Space Station, as well as the other spacecraft that are operating within the interplanetary medium and on Mars. As of 2013 there is serious preparation for establishing permanent manned and unmanned stations on Mars, the Moon, and on asteroids. And, the growing population of artificial satellites in near-Earth orbit is continuing to grow. All of these assets will require some sort of military force structure to provide operational security. The threats will come primarily from "rouge" nation-states, but "terrorist" organizations will also pose a serious threat. Because of the vastness of even the inner solar system, effective response to such threats will require a permanent presence of distributed military forces in space. The weapon systems and the tactics will be based on the spacecraft and mission tactics that have been developed by NASA during its half-century of experience in space exploration and scientific study. It should be noted that even today, at the start of the 21st century, military operations are already a reality. These are focused on the zone of artificial satellites. Several nations have already developed military structures and systems that are geared toward space operations. These take the form of developing credible anti-satellite missile systems, electronic warfare aimed at an adversary's command and control systems, as well as their intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Cyberwarfare is also being used to degrade or destroy the software components of an adversary's space systems. Another basic premise of this book is that human activities in space, both military and civilian, are affected in various ways by the physical and cultural environment in which they operate. The experience that has been garnered from NASA space missions indicates that outside the Earth's geomagnetic sphere, factors as the charged particles that are emitted by the Sun present the most encompassing an environmental profile that will affects military space operations. Local environments will vary within the major geographic domains in space: the interplanetary medium, the planets and other celestial objects. At the same time, private sector corporations and other organizations are actively developing systems that eventually will enable them to carry out operations on planets and other celestial bodies. As these commercial enterprises continue to develop a new extraterrestrial civilization, the need for some kind of military security system in space will become a reality. This glimpse into the future is done from the perspective of over 30 years of experience in military geography, military intelligence, computer science, and international business. It also draws from the archives of experiences of NASA in space during the past 50 years. The science, engineering and technology that has been developed by NASA is seen as a treasure trove of data and skill sets, from which lessons about the military geography of the entire solar system, and possible military space weapons and tactics might be inferred.

Author Biography

The author is a retired U.S.A.F. military officer who draws from more than thirty years of combined experience: as a professional geographer; in military intelligence; in computer science; and in international business. Contact author: (email) juniorg72@outlook.com The book is written for both the general reader and the military space professional or enthusiast. It can be appreciated as a geography of the solar system, and an analysis of military operations in the space age of the future, Born and raised in the shadows of the World War I museum in Kansas City, Missouri (USA), the author has had a lifetime of military experiences. It began in 1953 at the De La Salle Military Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, and continued with a career in the U.S. Air Force, from which he retired in 1978. The author received a B.A. in international Relations from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, an M.A. in Geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an MBA from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri. During his military career, the author has had a range of experiences: He served as a medical corpsman during his first period of enlistment. After commissioning, he served as an airborne air intelligence officer, and an assistant professor of geography at the U.S. Air Force Academy. These experiences, along with his eduction and training have provided him with the background from which to analyze military space operations from the perspective of a professional military officer and geographer. It also provides an analytical framework for appreciating the various aspects of the science and technology of military space operations.