Space Policy Show with Lt. Gen. John Shaw
The Space Policy Show: Episode 132: Sustained Maneuver for Defending in Space
31 January 2024
Key Takeaways:
Embracing Dynamic Space Operations: Lt Gen. Shaw underscored the necessity of transitioning from traditional space operations to a more dynamic approach to meet the challenges of the future.
Adaptability in Modern Warfare: Reflecting on the evolution of warfare, he emphasized that space operations must become more flexible to stay ahead and prevent adversaries from gaining the upper hand.
Leveraging DSO for Enhanced Security: By adopting dynamic space operations, we can significantly reduce predictability, undermining potential first-mover advantages of adversaries and bolstering our deterrence capabilities.
Innovative Spacecraft Design for the Future: As we pivot towards dynamic space operations, there will be a push for spacecraft to be designed more innovatively, potentially requiring less fuel and possibly utilizing auxiliary support mechanisms during a transitional phase.
On Transition from Positional to Dynamic Space Operations:
-We’ve traditionally done what I would call positional space operations… but it was sort of a realization that, hey, in the future, we probably aren’t going to be able to do that and achieve all of our objectives… The concept is, hey, we need to rethink this.
On Dynamic Space Operations as a Necessity for Modern Warfare and Security:
-We would not… there was a time in history when… land warfare was largely, largely positional, based on forts and fixed locations and… that’s clearly not how you end warfare today… the way of warfare has changed.
-And there’s countless examples of if you don’t shift your paradigm of operations quickly enough, you find yourself behind an adversary.
On Dynamic Space Operations for Unpredictability and Deterrence
-The more we transition to dynamic space operations, the more we kind of upset that calculus. First mover advantage becomes less of a thing and we become less predictable. And that makes an adversary less confident and that contributes to deterrence.
On Potential Misconceptions about Dynamic Space Operations:
-Let me talk about a couple myths that we sometimes run into when we talk about DSO… that’s a myth… what it gets me is sustained maneuver over time.
On the Importance of Dynamic Space Operations in Multi Domain Operations and Support:
-It’s simply a component of the multi-domain fight… the more that we can, uh, uh, present dilemmas to an adversary in the space domain… we contribute to a broader, uh, dilemma for an adversary.
On Innovation and Evolution in Spacecraft and Operations:
-We don’t fly airplanes the same way we did when the Wright brothers were there. Uh, we’ve evolved and, and, and your concept says we can evolve here.
-So there are so many opportunities here. It really, once you start thinking about it, actually gets exciting and you realize how many assumptions you have to throw away on how you would design a spacecraft or a spaceborne platform.
-If I can refuel a satellite on orbit, not only do I get enhanced and sustained maneuver for that platform… I can design it differently. I don’t need a huge fuel tank anymore.
On Adapting Infrastructure for Future Space Economy:
-Yes, we learned how to do this because the Space Force or US Space Command or the Department of Defense, um, pioneered some ways of doing this on orbit.
-It’s going to be an infrastructure of multiple ways of doing that, as well as standards that need to evolve that. Again, go back to this idea of partnership and cooperation, uh, beyond just our nation.
-It could be replenishment of many kinds of consumables, uh, on, on orbit. And that could be in multiple sectors.
-If that future happens, I bet we’ll be able to point to that logistical solution as having some national security origins to it.
On Repercussions of Space Domain Conflict:
-If we lose the fight in the space domain, it has immediate and maybe permanent repercussions for the joint fight in the terrestrial domains.
-It was still a cultural change that really kind of took some defeats or observations of defeats on the battlefield to really kind of change how we did things.
On Anticipating Adversarial Developments and Civil vs. Military Space Needs
-One recurring dynamic throughout military history that usually never works out well is to underestimate an adversary.
-It’s unlikely that commercial or civil capabilities are going to want to have sustained maneuver as aggressively as we would want in the national security arena.
On Advancements in Space Logistics and Infrastructure:
-I do believe that in the future there will be a logistical layer, uh, that enables DSO, that could be refueling, it could be replenishment of consumables if it’s not fuel, anything that we use.
-It’s going to be an infrastructure of multiple ways of doing that, as well as standards that need to evolve that. Again, go back to this idea of partnership and cooperation, uh, beyond just our nation.
-It could be replenishment of many kinds of consumables on orbit. And that could be in multiple sectors.
On Economic Opportunities and National Security:
-The dream is endless. Yeah, and I guess I probably didn’t stress it enough in my answer before, and that they’re going to be some unique needs from a national security perspective for sustained maneuvers that drive things. But there will be lots of mutual benefit and that will lead to economic opportunity.
On Transition and Adaptation in Space Operations
-There is some form of transition phase. Right. You can’t suddenly stop all of your programs and development and, and go back to, you know, preliminary design review and start all over again.
-I think there’s going to be some adaptive transition. I think one of those could be some of our platforms that we have not even launched yet, but have been fully designed, but we want to operate with sustained maneuver, um, end up getting a little outside help with, uh, tug or a jet pack or something along those lines.