India is preparing to launch its first unmanned space ship to orbit the moon early on Wednesday (tomorrow) Part of its effort to assert its power in space and claim some of the business opportunities out there. The launch of Chandrayaan-1 comes about a year after the first china moon mission. The Indian mission is scheduled to last two years, create a 3 dimensional atlas of the moon, and scour its surface for natural resources, including uranium, as well as ice deposits.
When reading this article, the word uranium instantly sent up red flags from a security standpoint. If this natural resource is found on the moon, how is it to be regulated? Obviously from a U.S. standpoint, the enrichment of uranium for nuclear purposes is of great concern. How then can uranium that is found on the moon be controlled? Is it simply a scenario of finders keepers?
The moon mission, in addition to demonstrating technological capacity, can also potentially yield commercial gains for India’s space program. India’s ability to put satellites into orbit has already resulted in lucrative deals, including from Israel, which has sent up a satellite via an Indian launcher. This of course creates a second implication for United States security. The united states does imagery intelligence better than anyone. One of the things that gives us our edge in intelligence and information collecting on potential enemies is that we are far and away the best at satellite technology. However with the recent rise in science capabilities of both India and China, could the United States be at risk of losing its edge? What would happen to American security if there were a Chinese and Indian satellite in space for every U.S. IMINT satelite. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to make sure my window blinds are closed tonight…
When reading this article, the word uranium instantly sent up red flags from a security standpoint. If this natural resource is found on the moon, how is it to be regulated? Obviously from a U.S. standpoint, the enrichment of uranium for nuclear purposes is of great concern. How then can uranium that is found on the moon be controlled? Is it simply a scenario of finders keepers?
The moon mission, in addition to demonstrating technological capacity, can also potentially yield commercial gains for India’s space program. India’s ability to put satellites into orbit has already resulted in lucrative deals, including from Israel, which has sent up a satellite via an Indian launcher. This of course creates a second implication for United States security. The united states does imagery intelligence better than anyone. One of the things that gives us our edge in intelligence and information collecting on potential enemies is that we are far and away the best at satellite technology. However with the recent rise in science capabilities of both India and China, could the United States be at risk of losing its edge? What would happen to American security if there were a Chinese and Indian satellite in space for every U.S. IMINT satelite. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to make sure my window blinds are closed tonight…
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