Original Sin: Power, Technology and War in Outer Space

An eye-opening account of a world order shaped by spacepower and the threat of space warfare. An eye-opening account of a world order shaped by spacepower and the threat of space warfare. Featured in the RAF Chief of the Air Staff’s Reading List ‘Original Sin is a comprehensive and thorough account of the particular “fall” of developing space-related technologies with military uses.’ — Professor Lawrence Freedman, Foreign Affairs Space technology was developed to enhance the killing power of the state. The Moon landings and the launch of the Space Shuttle were mere sideshows, drawing public attention away from the real goal: military and economic control of space as a source of power on Earth. Today, as Bleddyn E. Bowen vividly recounts, thousands of satellites work silently in the background to provide essential military, intelligence and economic capabilities. No major power can do without them. Beyond Washington, Moscow and Beijing, truly global technologies have evolved, from the ground floor of the nuclear missile revolution to today’s orbital battlefield, shaping the wars to come. World powers including India, Japan and Europe are fully realising the strategic benefits of commanding Earth’s ‘cosmic coastline’, as a stage for war, development and prestige. Yet, as new contenders spend more and more on outer space, there is scope for cautious optimism about the future of the Space Age—if we can recognise, rather than hide, its original sin. The battle for space is well underway, and this eye-opening account highlights the threat of space warfare Dr. Bowen is an expert on space policy and military uses of outer space who has advised the UK Parliament and the Pentagon. Charts the evolution of global technologies–from the ground floor of the nuclear missile revolution, to today’s orbital battlefield shaping the wars to come.