Ten Propositions Regarding Spacepower
Research Report
Ten Propositions Regarding Spacepower
M. V. Smith
Copyright Date: Oct. 1, 2002
Published by: Air University Press
Pages: 154
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https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep13956
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  1. Front Matter
    Front Matter (pp. i-ii)
  2. Disclaimer
    Disclaimer (pp. ii-ii)
  3. DEDICATION
    DEDICATION (pp. iii-iv)
  4. Table of Contents
    Table of Contents (pp. v-viii)
  5. Foreword
    Foreword (pp. ix-x)
    LANCE W. LORD

    Major M. V. Smith’s Ten Propositions Regarding Spacepower is an important contribution to the spacepower literature. Within weeks of being written, an early draft found its way into the various colleges around Air University’s Academic Circle. Within months it reached colleges and universities across the United States and even the international academic community.

    Major Smith’s work begins to quench the growing thirst among those seeking to understand elements contributing to spacepower. More importantly, it offers a view of what spacepower will mean for the United States in the coming decades.

    I believe Ten Propositions Regarding Spacepower will live up to...

  6. About the Author
    About the Author (pp. xi-xii)
    M. V. Smith
  7. Acknowledgments
    Acknowledgments (pp. xiii-xiv)
  8. Abstract
    Abstract (pp. xv-xv)
  9. Chapter 1 Introduction
    Chapter 1 Introduction (pp. 1-16)

    The objective of this work is to promote discussions and encourage those who do not yet understand or appreciate the nature of spacepower. Its aim is to help political leaders, military leaders, practitioners of war, and interested citizens to better understand the nature of space in order to fully exploit its use as a source of national and military power. American airmen in particular will benefit from pondering the discussions contained herein as they wrestle with their evolving role in space operations. At the heart of this study lies the question, “What is the nature of spacepower?” The propositions presented...

  10. Chapter 2 Schools of Thought on American Spacepower
    Chapter 2 Schools of Thought on American Spacepower (pp. 17-34)

    “Because it’s there” was the reason Sir George Leigh Mallory gave for wanting to climb Mount Everest. Some may argue this is why America went to the moon (if they dismiss the perceived race against the Soviets and the international prestige associated with being first). The reasons for exploiting the space medium for military advantage are far more practical than the simple quest for adventure, knowledge, or glory.

    The reasons for pursuing spacepower are perhaps best summarized by Thucydides, who explained more than 2,000 years ago that “fear, honor, and interest” serve as the three strongest motives for taking action.¹...

  11. Chapter 3 The Ten Propositions
    Chapter 3 The Ten Propositions (pp. 35-90)

    The objective of these propositions is to help train the judgments of political and military practitioners regardless of their organizational affiliations. Strategists and operational planners will find these propositions particularly helpful in developing their understanding of spacepower. Largely, these propositions are 10 things to keep in mind when building spacepower for the nation or when employing spacepower in a strategic or operational sense to secure national or military objectives. The particulars of tactical employment are left for others to ponder.

    Nearly 50 years of spacefaring experience has delivered many lessons regarding spacepower. Unfortunately, these lessons frequently disappear from view because...

  12. Chapter 4 A Spacepower Theory
    Chapter 4 A Spacepower Theory (pp. 91-107)

    The central question of this study is, “What is the nature of spacepower?” There is no single answer to this question. Instead, the 10 propositions regarding spacepower answer this question by revealing many of its characteristics. My findings are presented below.

    Space is physically very different from all earthly media. More important, orbital operations are constrained in very unique ways by the laws of physics. Their uniqueness creates a wall of misunderstanding between space professionals and others who do not understand orbital mechanics. These physical differences heavily determine operational methodologies and special planning considerations for space activities. Most important, space...

  13. Appendix A Oberg’s 12 Truths and Beliefs about Spacepower
    Appendix A Oberg’s 12 Truths and Beliefs about Spacepower (pp. 109-110)
  14. Appendix B Gray’s Eight “Clausewitzian” Ideas about Spacepower
    Appendix B Gray’s Eight “Clausewitzian” Ideas about Spacepower (pp. 111-113)
  15. Appendix C Gray’s Seven Most Vital Assumptions about Spacepower
    Appendix C Gray’s Seven Most Vital Assumptions about Spacepower (pp. 115-116)
  16. Appendix D Mantz’s 10 Axioms of Space Combat Power
    Appendix D Mantz’s 10 Axioms of Space Combat Power (pp. 117-118)
  17. Appendix E Findings and Recommendations of the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization (Space Commission Report)
    Appendix E Findings and Recommendations of the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization (Space Commission Report) (pp. 119-125)
  18. Glossary/Definitions
    Glossary/Definitions (pp. 127-128)
  19. Bibliography
    Bibliography (pp. 129-137)
  20. Index
    Index (pp. 139-140)
  21. Back Matter
    Back Matter (pp. 141-141)