Questions tagged [space]
Questions about the political aspect of outer space.
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When can "civilian, including commercial, infrastructure elements in outer space" be legitimate military targets?
The following quote of the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Konstantin Vorontsov found in Fox News' October 27, 2022 Russia threatens to target Western commercial satellites like Elon Musk's ...
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How could SpaceX prevent military use of their satellites while preserving free speech absolutism?
According to Western media, citing Russian officials, Russia has somewhat transparently threatened to attack SpaceX satellites.
September 19, 2022
A Russian representative named Konstantin Vorontsov ...
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Are there any international rules against firing ballistic missiles over other countries?
The BBC reports that (for the 2nd time since 2017) "North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan". The missile fell into the Pacific ocean.
I'm guessing there are some treaties on the ...
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How and to what extent did lobbyists contribute to Trump/Pence's "next man and first woman" to the Moon? (via Artemis and Commercial Crew programs)
When I first saw the title to Ars Technica's May 16, 2022 Former NASA leaders praise Boeing’s willingness to risk commercial crew I thought it suggested that Boeing and it's troubled Boeing_Starliner ...
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Who supports funding of the "Big Three" and who supports funding of NASA?
Context:
A look at this graph (source: Wikipedia), especially after the "Billionaire Space Race", is interesting. We see that the funding for NASA increased somewhere around the moon ...
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Would a potential Russian attack on Starlink satellite be considered an attack on NATO member?
Does NATO consider an attack on a satellite in space as similar to attacking the country in which the company is registered?
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What are the benefits of space research and explorations to common people?
Suppose, a country's government has enough revenue to undertake space research and space exploration missions. It doesn't have any space program.
What kind of benefits would space research and ...
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Does the US Air Force "Rocket Cargo" project have any notable proponents in Congress?
CNBC's June 4, 2021 article The Pentagon wants to use private rockets like SpaceX’s Starship to deliver cargo around the world says:
The U.S. Air Force said Friday is expanding a small development ...
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Does North Korea get permission to test-fly weapons over China and Russia?
The CNN video Experts on what North Korea's series of missile tests may mean summarizes several tests of different "flying objects" including (apparently) two hypersonic missiles or at least ...
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Why does the US care so much about China's hypersonic weapons?
Example: Gen. Mark Milley calls China's hypersonic weapon test 'very concerning'
If we currently have mutually assured destruction (MAD) where nobody can fire nuclear weapons because the other side ...
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Why is India diverting its resources to build its second mission to Mars?
The only gain I can think of for going to Mars is that it will bring glory based on the achievement.
Are there any tangible benefits for India going to Mars with respect to common people?
Note: ...
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Under what jurisdiction is the ISS?
Under what jurisdiction is the ISS? If a crime is to be committed inside the International Space Station, under whose jurisdiction would the criminals be prosecuted? Is there a mechanism or ...
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Why is Russia still welcome on the ISS despite geopolitical tensions?
Why is Russia still welcome on the International Space Station despite geopolitical tensions? According to Wikipedia:
The Wolf Amendment is a law passed by the United States Congress in
2011 that ...
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Is there political activity in the US for regulation or banning of potentially biologically active samples from space to Earth? Who is doing so?
These comments (1, 2) under @SpaceLawyer's answer to If Elon Musk wanted to bring back some Martian soil, would US permission be required? in Space Exploration SE say:
Let's not feel quickly relieved ...
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Are there conservative/right-wing parties which propose space exploration?
Is there a conservative/right-wing party in the USA or Europe which plans space exploration? If there are many examples, I'm interested in which example came first chronologically.
UPD: answers shold ...
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Which countries want to weaponize space?
I'd like to know which countries want to weaponize space and are against making a "peaceful space treaty".
To make myself clear:
I know more than 100 countries are parties to the Outer Space ...
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What US states allow voting from space?
Answers to How do US citizens vote in space? tell us that this is possible and outline the history, and that the state of Texas has specific provisions since most US astronauts active in trips to ...
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Has there been identifiable tension against the Outer Space Treaty or other key "idealistic" treaties regarding space flight?
There are a number of widely-signed treaties concerning outer space and travel into, colonization of, and exploration of space which many nations might find encumbering to their ambitions.
The Outer ...
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Why has the UAE chosen Japan for launching its Mars space probe?
The UAE's Mars space probe was launched from Japan in July 2020.
Why has the UAE chosen, specifically, Japan for launching its Mars space probe?
There are many governments and private companies around ...
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Could the US Space Force be dissolved when Trump is gone?
This answer to What are the factors exactly that will make missions like OTV-6 “Space Force launches”? which I've accepted includes the following:
The US Space Force (USSF) is the successor to Air ...
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What are the factors exactly that will make missions like OTV-6 "Space Force launches"?
Space.com's US Space Force to launch the next X-37B space plane mystery mission on May 16 is not the first launch said to be a Space Force launch†.
As I understand it the US Space Force is currently ...
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Why there are no major political movements worried about asteroid/comet impact?
While generally risk of mass extinction is being considered as political subject and even served as source of a catchy name for one controversial political movements, the same can not be said about ...
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Mandate or Mission Statement of US Space Command
In August of 2019, the re-establishment of the US Space Command. While I understand that this a unified force command under the US Strategic Command at the Pentagon, what is the official mandate or ...
user9790
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Who in the US actually "sends" astronauts to the Moon? The executive or the legislative branch?
The sources cited in this question and in the news mention that in a recent speech to the US space council, vice president Pence announced that NASA should land astronauts on the south pole of the ...
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Did US vice president Pence say anything close to "by any means necessary"?
I have not been able to find a transcript of US vice president Pence's recent (26-Mar-2019) speech to the US Space Council. This one is from last year.
The phrase By any means necessary carries a ...
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Can land on another planet be acquired by a person or country, and if so how?
When can a person or country stake claim to land on another planet?
At what legal point can a country declare we own this land in the name of whom so ever?
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Is the proposal to create a US Space Force being taken seriously?
It seems like there have been a number of unusual ideas in recent American politics. And that's saying something because, as a foreigner looking in, it's never seemed normal.
Is Space Force being ...
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How far into space does sovereign territory extend?
Space is considered to be a common heritage and is not owned or controlled by any government , but how far above sea level is considered to be sovereign territory? Is there any such specification such ...
user17709
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Does the US Constitution's "to provide for the common defense" automatically apply to a non-existent but potential future cis-lunar economy?
United States Representative Jim Bridenstine has been nominated to be the next Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Within the 29-Dec-2016 blog post Why the Moon ...
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Why is it so hard for the US government to commit to landing a man on Mars as compared to the Apollo program?
During the 1960s the US government raced against the Soviet Union in an attempt to become the first in various areas of space exploration. They have committed a significant amount of money and ...
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Does the Outer Space Treaty expire?
I recently read an article on the New York Times that talks about China's interests in Antarctica, and it mentions that the Antarctic Treaty (created in 1959) expires in 2048:
But Mr. Xi’s visit ...
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What are the consequences of exiting the Outer Space Treaty
In a hypothetical scenario that Russia, China or USA decide to "occupy" the Moon, they can not legally do that now due to having signed the Outer Space Treaty.
Can one of the signing countries exit ...
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How will lands on the Moon be divided?
Are there any laws on how lands on the Moon are to be divided between multiple countries?
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How high must a craft fly in order to not be in foreign airspace?
When flying over another country's airspace, the laws of that country apply. Alcohol, for example, can be banned on certain flights due to international recognition of a foreign power's rights.
That ...
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