War in Space
Space is becoming increasingly congested, contested and competed over. It has never been so easy – or so cheap – to launch a satellite into orbit. With space activity proliferating, its impact on national security has grown too: space assets are becoming vulnerable and space debris is becoming increasingly dangerous. War in Space is a series of interviews with experts in space and defence that will analyse the intersection of space and national security, unravelling the technical jargon that so often accompanies these discussions and explaining why space matters for our everyday lives and security.
The views or statements expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by RUSI employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of RUSI.
- Update frequency
- every 24 days
- Average duration
- 27 minutes
- Episodes
- 48
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2024
Episode 27: Space During the Cold War: The Strategic Defense Initiative
In 1983, US President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative, which became known as the ‘Star Wars’ programme. But was it really all about space? Dr Aaron Bateman, Assistant Profess…
Episode 26: Making History: Helen Sharman's Spaceflight
With her eight-day mission in 1991, Helen Sharman became the first British person in space. She also became the first woman aboard the Mir Space Station. In this episode, Helen reflects on her traini…
Episode 25: Tech vs Strategy? The Beginnings of the US Space Force
What is the main driver of change - technology or strategy? Which one should it be?
Kim Crider, former US Space Force Chief Technology and Innovation Officer and current Managing Director, AI Innovat…
Episode 24: Ukraine: The First Commercial Space War?
With private space tech companies such as Starlink and Maxar making headlines during the Ukraine war, how have they affected the battlefield? And to what extent is the involvement of private companie…
Episode 23: ‘From Cornwall with Launch’: The UK’s First Sovereign Space Launch
It takes a village to get to space. Melissa Thorpe, the CEO of spaceport Cornwall, talks to us about the UK's first sovereign launch, the stakeholders involved and what the future holds for the UK co…
Episode 22: Chinese Power Projection to Lower-Earth Orbit and Beyond
Space has been a popular domain for power projection ever since the launch of Russia’s Sputnik in 1957. But how is soft power relevant in this domain?
Dr Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst at the Australi…
Episode 21: Space Tech Innovation and Regulations – A Game of Catch-Up?
Are space regulations doomed to lag behind the newest emerging technology in the sector? Anuradha Damale-Day, Policy Fellow and Programme Manager at BASIC, talks to us about how the development of sp…
Episode 20: Space Dominance Now?
A bite-size explanation of the Chinese space programme, its ambitions and its underlying motivations. Dr Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), talks to us…
Episode 19: Space Economics 101
The space industry is a multibillion-dollar sector that is growing each year and becoming increasingly commercialised – the phenomenon of new space. But how exactly does it work? Who is funding the b…
Episode 18: Space Age Beginnings
What did the beginnings of the US space programme look like? Who was the strategist who decided to invest in it? And was the starting point President Kennedy's reach-the-moon promise, or President Re…
Episode 17: Finders Keepers: Europe in Space
Paul Taylor, Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at Friends of Europe and Contributing Editor at Politico, talks to us about his newest report, ‘Running out of Space: European Security in S…
Episode 16: Protecting the ‘Ones and Noughts’ to Keep Satellites Safe
With the cost of launch into lower earth orbit (LEO) decreasing, many satellite companies are choosing this orbit for their operations. But what are the disadvantages? And how do we keep satellites s…
Episode 15: Rocket Beginnings: What Links Missile Development and Spaceflight?
The history of spaceflight has always been closely linked to the development of missile technology. But does that mean that advances in a country's missile programme also spell success for its space …
Episode 14: How to Track Your Satellite and Other Astronomy Lessons
How do you track a satellite? How reliable is its re-entry into the atmosphere? And how do we know what is happening in space?
Dr Jonathan McDowell, astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for A…
Episode 13: Back to the Basics: What's in a Satellite?
Richard Franklin, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space UK, explains why satellites are essentially flying computers, and how their inner workings determine their function and lifespan.
In th…
Episode 12: Beyond the Horizon
In a rapidly growing sector such as space, tracking and predicting trends is a necessary, if challenging, task. We speak with Taskeen Ali, Head of Horizon Scanning at the Space Directorate within the…
Episode 11: No Such Thing As A Responsible Anti-Satellite Test
Episode 10: New Space, New Rules?
The concept of 'New Space' refers to the increasing commercialisation of the domain to smaller companies, at the expense of the previous dominance of state actors. But how have decreasing costs and g…
Episode 9: It Actually Is Rocket Science
SpaceX has become a household name, and its success has shaped the modern space industry. But what about its tenuous beginnings? We analyse the failed launches and the difficult financial straits the…
Episode 8: Why Comms is Key
How essential are satellite communications to defence? What is the difference between a military and a commercial satellite? And what are the UK's SATCOM capabilities right now? Neil Fraser, Director…