Berlin 2008 – scientific programme

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AKA: Arbeitskreis Physik und Abrüstung

AKA 6: Surveillance and Space Security

AKA 6.1: Talk

Thursday, February 28, 2008, 16:30–17:00, H 0110

Rethinking space based early warning concepts against the missile threat — •Gerd Hofschuster — OHB-System AG, Universitätsallee 27-29, 28359 Bremen

Space flight engineering has played an ambivalent role in the cold war. On one hand rocketry, together with nuclear engineering, was a major threat. On the other hand the possibilities of reconnaissance were the basis for disarmament treaties. In spite of that experience, the application of space technologies for security is mostly considered from the point of view of military operations. A typical example for such a behaviour is the actual discussion about missile defence. The basic idea is to develop the capability of self defence in case of an attack. Such an approach normally leaves out the possibilities of avoidance of such a situation. The threat has changed after the cold war and therefore the continuation of old technical concepts is not an adequate solution. So it is necessary to rethink our concepts and find solutions, which are not only cross-linked to military applications, but also to policy, diplomacy and verification. Finally the concepts have to be suitable to actual budgetary restrictions. OHB-System led a study team of small and mid-sized German companies for the creation of new space based early warning concepts. The result is a proposal for a constellation of small satellites, which would be also capable to detect armament activities in the field of ballistic missiles of certain countries of concern, month and years before a real military threat. This would give diplomacy and politics the time to find solutions. The realization of the concept would cost less than 500 Mio. Euros, which is in the order of magnitude less than conventional approaches. Perhaps the most important advantage of the system is, that it cannot be interpreted as threat to any great power and therefore no arms race would occur as a consequence.