Finding the Shape of Space
Research Report
Finding the Shape of Space
Christopher C. Shannon
Scott J. Scheppers
Dustin P. Ziegler
Brian C. McDonald
David Suh Hoon Menke
John P. Geis
Amanda S. Birch
Tosha N. Meredith
Copyright Date: Jul. 1, 2011
Published by: Air University Press
Pages: 143
OPEN ACCESS
https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep13841
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  1. Front Matter
    Front Matter (pp. i-ii)
  2. Table of Contents
    Table of Contents (pp. iii-iv)
  3. About the Authors
    About the Authors (pp. v-viii)
  4. Abstract
    Abstract (pp. ix-x)
  5. Preface
    Preface (pp. xi-xii)
  6. Chapter 1 Introduction
    Chapter 1 Introduction (pp. 1-4)
    Christopher C. Shannon and Tosha N. Meredith

    The past 50 years of space exploration and exploitation have been instrumental to US economic, political, and national security. Our space capabilities are national assets that constitute joint, interagency, and national interests. The United States relies on space for its security and well-being more than any other country. Our lives reflect increased satellite services to our homes, schools, businesses, and hospitals. Services come in the form of global communications, television broadcasts, weather forecasting, vehicle navigation, computer synchronization, communications, and electric power grids. Further, space systems are integral to collecting information on potential adversaries’ capabilities, monitoring treaties and agreements, and supporting...

  7. Chapter 2 Google Earth Tube Prospects for Full Motion Video from Space
    Chapter 2 Google Earth Tube Prospects for Full Motion Video from Space (pp. 5-44)
    Scott J. Scheppers

    The US National Space Policy says that the “United States will: preserve its freedom of action in space; dissuade or deter others from impeding those rights [and] take those actions necessary to protect its space capabilities.”¹ In order for this deterrence policy to succeed, would-be attackers must believe that the United States will detect and attribute their actions. Today’s space surveillance network (SSN) cannot detect the newest, smallest satellites and therefore cannot monitor or attribute the actions of small satellites. By 2030 this capability gap will widen. Small satellites will proliferate as they become cheaper and available to more actors....

  8. Chapter 3 Persistent Space Situational Awareness Distributed Real-Time Awareness Global Network in Space
    Chapter 3 Persistent Space Situational Awareness Distributed Real-Time Awareness Global Network in Space (pp. 45-66)
    Dustin P. Ziegler

    The United States needs to move beyond SSA toward space situational knowledge. The nation’s leaders must know not only what is in space, but also what the objects are doing, their intentions, and who owns them. In chapter 2, Colonel Scheppers provided an overview of the benefits of FMV in space. He postulated that when realized, FMV from space will provide the United States unprecedented situational awareness and insight regarding global activities. Specific to the military, FMV is poised to make significant contributions to help track mobile targets, provide unambiguous warning, aid in SSA, and network human activity. One possible...

  9. Chapter 4 Toward Breaking the Rocket Monopoly on Space Scramjet-Enabled Space Access in 2030
    Chapter 4 Toward Breaking the Rocket Monopoly on Space Scramjet-Enabled Space Access in 2030 (pp. 67-90)
    Brian C. McDonald

    In chapter 2 of this paper, Colonel Scheppers, emphasized the importance of a comprehensive SSA architecture to US national security. Colonel Ziegler conceptualized that architecture in chapter 3 by proposing a system called DRAGNETS. While diplomats exercise their power, armed with real-time information from space, the Air Force must be ready to access space when called upon to respond to an issue or to dispatch and maintain the space intelligence architecture. Once it is aware of a space access requirement, can the Air Force quickly respond and achieve any orbit, regardless of launch time or coordinates? Can it initiate a...

  10. Chapter 5 Disruption in Space System Design Using Carbon Nanotubes
    Chapter 5 Disruption in Space System Design Using Carbon Nanotubes (pp. 91-110)
    David Suh Hoon Menke

    Carbon nanotubes have potential technological benefits for the SSA systems presented in chapters 2, 3, and 4 of this monograph. Ideal SSA systems should consist of small, cheap, and resilient satellites. This final chapter investigates CNTs’ attributes, utility, and probability of availability for space access systems in 2030, SSA systems, and more.

    The 2007 State of the Future lists nanotechnologies as one of five emerging advancements that will have the most positive economic benefit over the next 25 years.¹ The CNT represents a specific nanotechnology with several key attributes, including high strength and low weight. CNTs offer the military an...

  11. Appendix A Technology Readiness Levels
    Appendix A Technology Readiness Levels (pp. 111-112)
  12. Appendix B Status of Selected Space-Access Technologies
    Appendix B Status of Selected Space-Access Technologies (pp. 113-114)
  13. Appendix C Delphi Study Panelists
    Appendix C Delphi Study Panelists (pp. 115-118)
  14. Abbreviations
    Abbreviations (pp. 119-122)
  15. Back Matter
    Back Matter (pp. 123-130)