Overview

For the past sixty years, countries have conducted military and civilian activities in space, often for competitive purposes. But they have not yet fought in this environment. This book examines the international politics of the space age from 1957 to the present, the reasons why strategic restraint emerged among the major military powers, and how recent trends toward weaponization may challenge prior norms of conflict avoidance. James Clay Moltz analyzes the competing demands of national interests in space against the shared interests of all spacefarers in preserving the safe use of space in the face of emerging threats, such as man-made orbital debris. This new edition offers analysis of the 2011 to 2018 period, including the second term of President Obama and the beginning of the Trump administration. Focusing on great power competition and cooperation, as well as questions related to the sustainability of current and future national space policies, The Politics of Space Security is an authoritative history of the space age.

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9781503608931

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Reviews

Clay Moltz reassesses the importance of the superpowers' growing knowledge about harmful effects in the space environment especially space radiation and debris and explains how this environmental learning fundamentally shaped space security interactions during the Cold War. A truly seminal book that not only illuminates an underappreciated factor in past space security decision-making but also sheds light on how environmental learning may play a key role in overcoming challenges and improving future space security. --Dr. Peter Hays, Associate Director, Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies U.S. Air Force Academy The intellectual scope and historical detail of Clay Moltz's study are truly impressive. He has brought to bear on a pressing issue in international security both high quality scholarship and pragmatic policy prescriptions. Professor Moltz's book is a must read for anyone concerned about the future sustainability of U.S. and global space activities. --Dr. John M. Logsdon, Director, Space Policy Institute The Politics of Space Security is actually two books in one. The first and last sections of the book contain a thoughtful analysis of various perspectives for understanding the concept of space security and their application to understanding the current situation and future prospects This historical account is worthwhile on its own terms, because there has been nothing comparable in the past 20-plus years, since Paul Stares' 1987 study Space and National Security. --Issues in Science and Technology James Clay Moltz makes an impressive and timely contribution to security studies and ongoing policy discussions with The Politics of Space Security... Given the complexity of the subject matter and the importance of the dual forces of technology and politics, it is difficult to find fault with this thoughtful and comprehensive volume. --David W. Kearn Jr. Rarely does a book add to the literature of multiple fields as well as The Politics of Space Security. A must read for both political scientists and policy practitioners, as one of the few books to examine an increasingly critical space security issues through the lens of traditional political science concepts and theory. --Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese, Chair, National Security Decision-Making Department Naval War College Making effective use of the secondary literature, supplemented by insights drawn from interviews with a wide range of officials and access to the relevant archives in the USA and Russia, The Politics of Space Security: Strategic Restraint and the Pursuit of National Interests confirms Moltz's command of his field of study... James Moltz's book serves as a superb primer for understanding the complex and interrelated issues within the fields of space policy and security studies. --John Berryman University of London, Space Policy

In The Politics of Space Security, James Clay Moltz presents a concise yet brilliant analysis of the history of space security through the lens of the political environment that shaped it. Moltz's book does a fantastic job of giving just enough detail to strengthen his arguments while still keeping the text flowing. -- Brian Weeden * author of <I>Arms Control Today</I> *

Author Information

James Clay Moltz is chairman of the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School, where he also holds a joint faculty appointment in the Space Systems Academic Group. He is the author of Crowded Orbits: Conflict and Cooperation in Space (2014) and Asia's Space Race: National Motivations, Regional Rivalries, and International Risks (2012).

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