Research & Resources

Research

Paper: What Will Happen in the First Space Hostage Crisis? – September, 2024

Abstract: While the concept may seem far-fetched, there is a high probability that malicious actors will take hostages in space in the near future. The growth of space as a commercial sector and critical military area of operations makes such an incident almost inevitable. Given current US policies, capabilities, jurisdictional conflicts, and force structures, however, such an event will likely lead to sub-optimal crisis handling by the US government. This paper explores the potential for hostage-taking in space and the deficiencies of existing countermeasures and incident response processes—along with possible solutions that can avert the worst outcomes in the future.

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Paper: Protecting Space Assets from Irregular Threats – July, 2024

Abstract: As space continues to grow in importance as a commercial and national security domain, the US military and intelligence community (IC) have recognized the need to defend space assets from an increasingly broad and sophisticated range of threats from adversary nations. Countermeasures include threat detection across cyber and kinetic attack surfaces. The increasing role that space plays in economic and national security terms, however, also heightens the risks posed by non-state actors and criminal organizations. This paper explores the issue and offers an approach to detecting and mitigating threats of space crime and piracy using integrative system architectures and technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).

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Resources

Aerospace Corporation Center for Space Policy and Strategy

CSIS Aerospace Security

University of Nebraska Space Law Publications

Custom Research, Training, and Consulting

The CSCP&G team offers a range of training, research, and consulting services, including:

Training and awareness programs that inform stakeholders about the potential risks of space crime and piracy and their impacts on organizations in the financial, government, and commercial sectors.
Custom research reports regarding threats and impacts of space crime and piracy.
Policy research and papers.

Photo: AI-generated rendering of a space hotel at sunset. [c04uf001.jpg]