www.ndu.edu/inss DH No. 83 1
S
pace activity is critical to the American way of war. e commercializa-
tion of space has potentially radical implications for U.S. national security
through its impact on a range of military and intelligence functions and
on the ability of the nation to eectively project power around the globe.
Historically, U.S. space access has been under government control. In re-
cent years, the increasing congestion of space with the rise of commercial space
systems has been fundamentally changing the traditional government-centered
calculus. e reality of modern space activity is that both the commercial and
civil space sectors are vital for achieving national security objectives and enhanc-
ing American spacepower.
1
Burgeoning commercial space activities are leverag-
ing technologies from the information technology sector to enable ultra-low-
cost access to space (ULCATS). Air University likens these developments to the
early history of aviation whereby the improved aordability of access to space
has the potential for breakthroughs in national security and the space industry
with global ramications.
2
In 2016–2017, Air University conducted a “Fast Space” study on how this
evolution will present opportunities and challenges to the security of the United
States. In support of Air University, National Defense University (NDU) col-
laborated with Johns Hopkins University, eight think tanks, and multiple subject
matter experts to analyze the utility of ULCATS for the U.S. military. Each of
these organizations contributed one or more reports for the Fast Space study.
For this study, the authors have adopted the Center for Strategic and Inter-
national Studies (CSIS) denition of cost of access to space as the cost of placing
and maintaining capabilities in space. is denition encompasses launch costs
Low-Cost Access to Space:
Military Opportunities and
Challenges
by Philip Stockdale, Scott Aughenbaugh, and Nickolas
Boensch
DEFENSE HORIZONS
National Defense University
CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY AND NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY
About the Authors
Philip Stockdale is a Senior Research
Fellow at the Institute for National
Strategic Studies (INSS) at the
National Defense University. Scott
Aughenbaugh is a Research Fellow at
INSS. Nickolas Boensch is a Research
Intern at INSS.
Key Points
In support of the Air University
“Fast Space” study, the National
Defense University collaborated
with Johns Hopkins University,
eight think tanks, and subject mat-
ter experts to analyze the utility
of ultra-low-cost access to space
(ULCATS) for the U.S. military.
Contributors identied disrup-
tors that could achieve ULCATS
and Fast Space as well as space
architectures and capabilities that
could reduce the cost of access to
space. They also offered recom-
mendations for legal, policy, regu-
latory, authority, and oversight
adjustments that could facilitate
cost reductions.
The combination of a greater
number of innovative commercial
space actors, industry advocacy
for licensing reform, and optimism
regarding reusable launch vehicles
will eventually change the ways
the United States operates in
space.
As the economic landscape of
space activities evolves, some
missions in low earth orbit may be
turned over to commercial sec-
tor operation, but the next 3 to
5 years might not be revolution-
ary for government use of space
capabilities.
February 2018
