Prof. Mark J. Sundahl’s article on The Artemis Theory of Warfare was recently published in the Brown Journal of World Affairs. This article delves deeply into the threat of rapid militarization in space, while exploring the real-time benefits and consequences of actions taken by governmental and private actors.
In the face of this militarization, Sundahl explains that “we can either protect and build on the special nature of space norms and customs to preserve space as a ‘laboratory of peace,’ or we can militarize space as the new ‘highest ground’ under largely the same rules that govern terrestrial warfare” – essentially asking space-faring nations whether space should be used as a peaceful laboratory for the greater good.
Prof. Sundahl also explores threats to peaceful collaboration in space, citing recent statements by U.S. Space Force’s Delta 9 leadership. Sensing a threat to the Outer Space Law Treaty Article IV, Prof. Sundahl assesses the current state of the rule of law limiting militarization and proposes that the best chance for a peaceful future in space will result from cooperation among actors, whether state or private, in the model of NASA’s Artemis Accords. The article is available now on the BJWA website.
By Justin Daniels-Dawes
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The CSU Global Space Law Center
The sky is no longer the limit…