Updated: August 2006

NASA is a civilian agency, but rockets have played roles in war from their birth in eleventh century China through today. Since the beginning of the Space Age, the Department of Defense has used satellites for several purposes, such as communication, navigation, weather forecasting, mapping, and surveillance. The Department of Defense is also building America's anti-ballistic missile and anti-satellite defenses. This pathfinder concentrates on our military's space programs.

All items are available at the Headquarters Library, except as noted. NASA Headquarters employees and contractors: call (358-0172) or email Library@hq.nasa.gov for information on borrowing or in-library use of any of these items. Members of the public, contact your local library for the availability of these items. NASA Headquarters employees can request additional materials or research on this topic. The Library welcomes your comments or suggestions about this webpage.

Books

Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry. Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry: Final Report. [Arlington, VA]: The Commission, 2002.

HD9711.5.A2 C668 2002

 

De Vorkin, David H. Science with a Vengeance: How the Military Created the US Space Sciences After World War II. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1992.

TL789.8.U6 D48 1992

 

Dolman, Everett C. Astropolitik: Classical Geopolitics in the Space Age. London; Portland, OR: Frank Cass, 2002.

TL788.4 .D68 2002

 

Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Space Industry Study. Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC: Industrial College of the Armed Forces, 2002.

HD9711.5 .A2 S64 2002

 

Lewis, James A. and Erin Schlather. Preserving America's Strength in Satellite Technology. Washington, D.C.: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2002.

HD9711.75 .U62 P74 2002

 

National Research Council. Committee on the National Aerospace Initiative.Evaluation of the National Aerospace Initiative. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2004.

TL521 .E98 2004

 

Perry, Robert L. America's Sentinels of Freedom: The National Reconnaissance Office: Its Mission, History and People. Chantilly, VA: National Reconnaissance Office, Office of the Historian, [2002?].

UG1523 .N36 2002 CDROM

 

Preston, Bob. Space Weapons: Earth Wars. Santa Monica, CA: Rand, 2002.

UG1530 .S72 2002

 

Smith, Marcia S. U.S. Space Programs: Civilian, Military, and Commercial. [Washington, D.C.]: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, 2004.

TL789.8 .U5 S67 2004

 

Temple, L. Parker. Shades of Gray: National Security and the Evolution of Space Reconnaissance. Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2005.

UG1523 .T46 2004

 

United States. Air Force Space Command. Strategic Master Plan FY06 and Beyond. Peterson AFB, CO: HQ AFSPC/XPXP, [2003].

UG1523 .U56 2003

 

United States. Defense Science Board/Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. Joint Task Force on Acquisition of National Security Space Programs. Report of the Defense Science Board/Air Force Scientific Advisory Board Joint Task Force on Acquisition of National Security Space Programs. Washington, DC: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, 2003.

UG1523 .R26 2003

 

Journals and Articles

Aerospace America

 

Aerospace Daily and Defense Report

 

Astropolitics

 

Aviation Week and Space Report

 

Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report

 

Government Executive

 

Interavia

 

Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly

 

Space News

 

Space Policy

Some articles of special interest:

Bloomfield, Lincoln P., and Richard Hart Sinnreich. "SPACE: A Military Far Frontier No More", Army Space Journal, vol. 1, no. 2

 

Buenneke, Richard. "Protection of Commercial Satellite Communications Infrastructure", Astropolitics, vol. 2, no. 2

 

Canan, James W. "Renaissance for Military Space - Advances in Space Systems are Profoundly Enhancing the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaisance Capabilities of the US Military", Aerospace America, vol. 41, no. 6

 

Chun, Clayton K. "Viewpoint: Expanding the High Frontier: Space Weapons in History", Astropolitics, vol. 2, no. 2

 

Cervino, M; S. Corradini, and S. Davolio. "Is the 'peaceful use' of outer space being ruled out?", Space Policy, Vol. 19, no. 4

 

Cooper, Lawrence. "The Strategy of Responsive Space", Astropolitics, vol. 1, no. 3

 

Gouveia, William. "An Assessment of Anti-Satellite Capabilities and Their Strategic Implications", Astropolitics, vol. 3, no. 2

 

Harter, Mark E. "Ten Propositions Regarding Space Power: The Dawn of a Space Force", Air and Space Power Journal, Summer 2006

 

Hyten, John, and Robert Uy. "Moral and Ethical Decisions Regarding Space Warfare", Air and Space Power Journal, Summer, 2004

 

Hyten, John. "A Sea of Peace or a Theater of War? Dealing with the Inevitable Conflict in Space", Air and Space Power Journal, Fall 2002

 

Kries, Wulf von. "The Demise of the ABM Treaty and the Militarization of Outer Space". Space Policy, vol. 18, no. 3

 

Livingston, Steven. "Mapping Fears: The Use of Commercial High-Resolution Satellite Imagery in International Affairs"Astropolitics, vol. 1, no. 2

 

Meilinger, Philip S. "The Air and Space Nation is in Peril", Air and Space Power Journal, Spring 2003

 

Petras, Christopher. "The Use of Force in response to Cyber-Attack on Commercial Space Systems -- Reexamining 'Self-Defense' in Outer Space in Light of the Convergence of US Military and Commercial Space Activities", The Journal of Air Law and Commerce, vol. 67, no. 4

 

Internet Resources

Air Force:

Air and Space Power Journal. 2006 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apje.html

 

Air Force Command and Control and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center. 1 January 2001 [cited 28 June 2006]

http://www.afc2isrc.af.mil/

 

Air Force Research Laboratory. 23 June 2006. [cited 28 June 2006]

http://www.afrl.af.mil

 

Air Force Space Command. 27 June 2006. [cited 28 June 2006]

http://www.afspc.af.mil

 

Air Force Space Command. Air Force Space Today. June 2006 [cited 30 June 2006].

http://www.losangeles.af.mil/smc/pa/video%20page.htm

 

Air Force Space Command. Fact Sheets. [cited 3 July 2006].

http://www.afspc.af.mil/library/factsheets/index.asp

 

Air Force Space Command. High Frontier Journal. 2006 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.afspc.af.mil/library/highfrontierjournal.asp

 

Air Force Space Command. Speeches. 2006. [cited 12 July 2006]

http://www.afspc.af.mil/library/speeches/index.asp

 

Air Force Space Command. United States Locations. [cited 28 June 2006]

http://www.afspc.af.mil/

 

Air Force Weather Agency. 1 Sept. 2005 [cited 29 June 2006].

https://afweather.afwa.af.mil/

 

Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center. 23 May 2006. [cited 28 June 2006]

https://www.cheyennemountain.af.mil/

 

Joint National Integration Center. [cited 28 June 2006]

http://www.mda.mil/jnic/#

 

National Air and Space Intelligence Center. 13 June 2006 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/naic/

 

National Security Space Institute. 25 January 2006. [cited 28 June 2006]

https://www.peterson.af.mil/nssi/(S(oasyd255yutrpcqow1wvmu55))/index.aspx

 

Navstar Global Positioning System Joint Program Office. 1 Aug. 2005 [cited 30 June 2006].

http://gps.losangeles.af.mil/

 

Space and Missile Systems Center. 5 May 2006. [cited 28 June 2006]

http://www.losangeles.af.mil/smc/smc%20homepage/smclinktopoffpg.htm

Army:

Army Space Journal. 2004 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.smdc-armyforces.army.mil/SpaceJournal/

 

Redstone Arsenal. 25 Nov. 2005 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.garrison.redstone.army.mil/

 

US Army Space and Missile Defense Command. 29 June 2006 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.smdc.army.mil/

 

White Sands Missile Range. June 2006 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.wsmr.army.mil/

 

Navy and Marines:

Astronomical Applications Department. Naval Observatory. [cited 29 June 2006].

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/

 

Information Operations and Space Integration Branch. [cited 30 June 2006].

http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/pp&o/PL/PLI.htm

 

N6F Warfare Integration Division. [cited 29 June 2006].

http://cno-n6.hq.navy.mil/

 

Naval Center for Space Technology. [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.ncst.nrl.navy.mil/

 

Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. 19 June 2006 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://pao.cnmoc.navy.mil/pao.htm

 

Naval Observatory. [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.usno.navy.mil/

 

Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. 2006 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://enterprise.spawar.navy.mil/menu.cfm?category=18&subcat=1

 

Space Systems Development Department. 22 June 2006 [cited 30 June 2006].

http://code8100.nrl.navy.mil/

 

Spacecraft Engineering Department. [cited 30 June 2006].

http://code8200.nrl.navy.mil/

Other Defense Agencies

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. 14 April 2006 [cited 3 July 2006].

http://www.darpa.mil/index.html

 

Department of Defense. Publications. 12 June 2006 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/

 

Missile Defense Agency. 22 June 2006 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.mda.mil/mdalink/html/mdalink.html

 

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 13 June 2006 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/nga01/

 

National Reconnaissance Office. 20 Oct. 2005 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.nro.gov/

 

North American Aerospace Defense Command. 30 June 2006 [cited 3 July 2006].

http://www.norad.mil/

 

US Strategic Command. 26 Sept. 2005 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.stratcom.mil/

 

Report of the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization. Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization. 11 Jan. 2001 [cited 29 June 2006].

http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/spaceabout.html