America Public University Role of Satellite Intelligence and National Security Paper

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erambqruhagre

Humanities

America public university

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Draft a 10+ page paper on the role of satellite intelligence collection and its impact on national security decision making (during wars, crises, etc.) from the 1960s to the 1990s.

You should have at least 5 sources IN ADDITION to this one I am giving you as a starting place:

https://history.nasa.gov/sp4801-chapter19.pdf

Do not use quotes, do not paraphrase. Everything should be in your own words. Facts and specifics should have footnotes or endnotes.

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1

The Role of Satellite Intelligence Collection and Its Impact on National Security Decisions
from the 1960s to 1990s

Student’s Name
Course Name and Number
Professor’s Name
Date

2
The United States' intelligence capabilities have warranted special attention in the
contemporary world and previous decades alike because of the number of resources dedicated
to intelligence, which embodies the country's industrial and technological capabilities.
Satellite reconnaissance has been part of the U.S.'s strategies to gain intelligence, and
advancements in this area have fostered access to most parts of the globe, using varieties of
sensors for information collection1. Most times, the choice of an imagery platform depends
on various factors, including the type of information needed, platform availability, and
potential risk to operators and platforms. As such, the best acquisition strategies involve
assessing the limitations and strengths of the imaging platform, such as satellites.
Necessarily, satellites have multiple tangible benefits over other available reconnaissance
platforms. Some of these include its non-violation of airspaces, thereby ensuring that other
countries' sovereignty remains intact. These space systems constitute a vital portion of the
U.S. military force structure and provide pertinent information with high timeliness and
accuracy levels to enhance the military force's ability to maneuver strategically. These assets
have, therefore, been integrated into the national security decision making over a long period.
Principally, the ability to see satellite images from space showing buildings, fortifications,
troop concentrations, or other physical structures enhances the decision making capability of
involved parties, especially in combat situations. The U.S. military commanders and
policymakers have made use of information from these sources to foster better preparedness
against enemy targets to ensure their country's safety and reduce any probable danger to
civilians and military troops2. As such, imagery collection is crucial to the planning phase in
military actions and security decisions, especially in the post-Cold War world. This discourse

1

Hastedt, Glenn. "Reconnaissance Satellites, Intelligence, and National Security." Societal
Impact of Spaceflight (2007): 369-385.
2
Glenn, 371.

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examines the role of satellite intelligence collection and ensuing impacts on national security
decision making from the 1960s to 1990s.
The Role of Satellite Intelligence Collection in the U.S. between the 1960s and 1990s
In the U.S., current and previous administrations have recognized the need to develop
capabilities that enhance their space systems' protection and deny its malicious use by any
adversaries. Over this time, there has been an ongoing debate on how to achieve these
objectives best. Some argue that the U.S. should develop military capabilities that ensure its
space protection and other vital interests. At the same time, some hold the view that arms
control and specified suitable measures are the best way of protecting American space
interests and ensuring that space does not become an area that promotes armed conflict3.
Since the Cold War, this debate had existed when both the U.S. and the Soviet Union
employed rudimentary antisatellite systems and took part in bilateral talks about arms control
in space.
The Reagan administration also made satellites in military operations a controversial
topic, especially with the development of two programs, an Air Force antisatellite system and
the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), to give multilayered protection against any apparent
missile attacks. Intelligence and military agencies recognized the merits of performing
different operations in space. However, for the U.S., the initial impetus for venturing into
space and using satellites to acquire information was to gather intelligence on the Soviet
Union's actions. Aside from reconnaissance satellites, both nations also deployed additional
early-warning satellites meant for communication and detected ballistic missiles. However,

3

Glenn, 375.

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the underlying rationale for satellite intelligence collection during the Cold War was
primarily nuclear deterrence4.
In 1991 during the Gulf War, the enormous potential of space systems such as
satellites to support the country's conventional military operations was vividly demonstrated.
Notably, the reconnaissance satellites helped target the Iraqi forces, helping to assess the
effects of the space campaign. The early-warming satellites used during this time fostered the
identification of adversaries. They also played an integral role in giving civil defense
warnings to the civilian populations o...


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