Committee on thePeaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS)

Background Guide Topic:

Combating the Increase of Space Weapons and the Riskof Space War_____________________________________________​

Director's Note
​ ear Delegates,
D
I would first like to thank all of the delegates who applied for the Committee on thePeaceful uses of Outer Space at JMMUN this year. My name is Rikako Osawa and I am
currently in my junior at Senzoku Gakuen. I am very excited to be a part of a conference withmany intelligent delegates.
Last year I underwent my first experience as a Chair and not only did I acknowledge
the difficulties of being a Chair, but I also re-acknowledged the difficulties of being adelegate. Delegates have to make speeches on the spot and create a resolution which the
majority of countries can come to an agreement to. Some delegates will be able to present
what they have prepared with confidence while others may be intimidated by the tense
atmosphere. I am looking forward to a conference where all delegates are able to present theircountry’s stance and take part in making resolutions. Please do not hesitate to ask the diasanything about the topic, conference, and flow of debate.
The topic of this committee is a problem that has been resurfaced recently. Space
weapons were created when the Cold War started between the United States and the Soviet
Union; however the invention of space weaponry was not made public until recently whencountries started to invent and release missiles. The Chair hopes that this guide will helpdelegates understand this topic.
As the Director of this committee I am hoping for a conference where all delegateshave a chance to share their ideas freely and the creation of multi-faceted resolutions. I
sincerely hope this conference will be a great experience where delegates can learn from.
Sincerely

Rikako Osawa, Director
Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
Senzoku Gakuen Model United Nations ClubJapan Metropolitan Model United Nations 2019

Introduction of theCommittee
The Committee on the Peaceful uses ofOuter Space (COPUOS) was established in
1959 by the General Assembly after the
first artificial satellite was launched in
1958 and is annually held in Vienna,
Austria. This committee was set for the
purpose to explore and develop space forpeaceful purposes by launching research
programmes and discussing legal problems
arising in outer space. Since the start of thespace era, technological development inouter space has been constantly
progressing and this committee has been
providing a stage for countries to discuss
the ownership of technology in outerspace, in addition to debating on the
purpose of the invention of the technology.
COPUOS reports to the Fourth Committee
where the resolutions and treaties madeinside COPUOS are organized;
furthermore, the committee has two
subcommittees: the Scientific andTechnical Subcommittee and the Legal
Subcommittee.1

Key Terms
Anti-satellite Missiles (ASAT)
An anti-satellite missile is anything that
destroys or physically damages a satellite.
The missiles take many shapes. The mostcommon shape is when a missile is sent
into space to collide with its target.

However, the missile does not necessarilyneed to be airborne: taking out the targetedsatellite ground station achieves the same
goal.
Currently, there are four countries who
have to the anti-satellite missile: China,
India, Russia, and the United States. Whilethe countries who have access to themissile claim that the missile is for
defensive or scientific purposes, others
criticize the missile for the amount of
space debris it produces and that theanti-satellite missile is one of the main
reasons the space race started. 2
Ballistic Missiles
Ballistic missiles can rapidly andaccurately deliver payload such as
explosives and biological, chemical, or
nuclear warhead to a target. The missile
can be launched by fixed sites or mobile
launchers. Combined with the missiles’
inexpensiveness, it can be predicted thatthe numbers of missiles will increase in the
future.
In 1957 the USSR and the United States
signed an anti-ballistic missile treaty inorder to limit their actions in nuclear arms.
However, by 2002 the United States
withdrew from the treaty explaining how
terrorist groups’ usage of ballistic missiles
made it necessary for the United States to​

2 Al Jazeera. “What Are Anti-Satellite​

1 Robert.wickramatunga. “United

NationsOffice for Outer Space Affairs.”
COPUOS,​
http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/c
opuos/index.html.

Weapons?” ​News | Al Jazeera​, Al Jazeera,
27 Mar. 2019,https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/
anti-satellite-weapons-190327092138702.
html.

form a defense force utilizing the same
technology. The United States leaving thetreaty automatically made the treaty
invalid, since the treaty was formed by thetwo nations. 3

Space Debris
Both natural and man-made particles
consist space debris. While natural
particles (meteorite) mainly orbit the sun,
man-made particles orbit the earth.
Particles orbiting the earth are referred toorbital debris and are consisted of brokenparts of spacecrafts and blown up missiles.
Currently, there are 20,000 pieces ofdebris larger than a softball, 500,000
pieces larger than a marble, and millionsof pieces that are too small to be tracked.
Even the smallest piece of debris candestroy or at least harm space crafts sincemost of the particles orbit the earth at
17,000 mph. The ongoing cycle of orbital
debris creating even more debris is called
the Kessler Syndrome and is a topic
greatly debated by researchers. 4
Space Situational Awareness (SSA)
SSA is a term recently used due to theincrease of space debris and the fear ofcollusion. The term broadly refers to theknowledge of the near-space environment“Fact Sheets: Arms Control Association.”
Fact Sheets | Arms Control Association​,Arms Control Association,www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/abmtreaty. Accessed 28 Oct.2019.
4​Garcia, Mark. “Space Debris and Human
Spacecraft.” ​NASA​, NASA, 14 Apr. 2015,
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stati
on/news/orbital_debris.html.
3

both natural and man-made. The European
Space Agency divides the SSA into threesegments:● Space Surveillance and Tracking ofobjects in earth orbit (SST) , a
segment which is charge of“watching for active and inactive
satellites, discarded launch stages
and fragmentation debris whichorbit the Earth”5,● Space Weather (SWE), a segment
in charge of “monitoring
conditions at the Sun and in thesolar wind, and in Earth’s
magnetosphere, ionosphere, andthermosphere that can affect spaceborne and ground based
infrastructure or endangered humanlife or health”6, and● Near Earth Object (NEO), a
segment which detects objects“that can potentially impact Earthand cause damage”7.
While the U.S. Strategic Command defines
the SSA as, “the requisite current andpredictive knowledge of space events,
threats, activities, conditions and spacesystem (space, ground, link) status
capabilities, constraints and employment -to current and future, friendly and hostile-to enable commanders, decision makers,planners and operators to gain andmaintain space superiority across the
spectrum of conflict.”(Space Academy)8Statement of the Problem
5​Space Situational Awareness​,

https://www.spaceacademy.net.au/intell/ss
a.htm.
6

ibid.
ibid.
8
ibid.
7

Historical Context
Space exploration was previously
dominated by the United States and theSoviet Union. By the end of World War 2,
the Soviet Union made their mostimportant military aspect rockets and by
the mid 1950s, the Soviet Union
announced that they were ready to launcha ballistic missile.9
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union
focused on the creation of a militarized
space through rocket and missile
development. At the same time as theSoviet Union openly announcing theirproject to militarize space, the UnitedStates established NASA, a completely
civilian enterprise, while focusing on
military space efforts under Pentagon.
In the same year NASA was founded, theUnited States succeeded in launching its
own satellite, Explorer 1. This launchheated up the space race between the twocountries. While Yuri Gagarin, an
astronaut from the the USSR, became thefirst person to orbit Earth by travelling
inside a capsule-shaped spacecraft, Vostok
1, he United State struck back by
designing a cone-shaped spacecraft far
lighter than Vostok 1. During the space
race, the two countries repeated theprocess of designing, inventing, andlaunching spacecrafts and satellites.10

The space race eventually calmed down
after the United States’s Apollo 11
managed to land on the moon.11
Contemporary Context
After the fall of the Soviet Union, theUnited States gained dominance in satellite
technology, allowing the country to have agreat advantage at battlefields. However,
the investments which China and Russia
made towards space exploration haschanged this situation.12
When creating the anti-satellite missiles
and ground-based lasers, countries destroy
their own satellites as field test. Theseexperiments create loads of space debris,
affecting other spacecrafts which orbit
Earth and even Earth itself. For example,
when China blew up one of its weather
satellites, it produced over 1,600 pieces ofdebris. India’s test launch of ananti-satellite missile created such a terrible
amount of space debris that it threatened
the astronauts aboard the Space Station.
From the amount of space debris orbiting
Earth, it is conspicuous that a “Cold War”
has started in space. Russia, China, and theUnited States are the main countries
competing for the dictatorship of space
and the development of space weaponry.
This “Cold War” causes
misunderstanding between the countries.
11​Dunbar, Brian. “United States-Soviet
Space Cooperation during the Cold War.”
NASA,​
NASA,https://www.nasa.gov/50th/50th_m
agazine/coldWarCoOp.html. Accessed 28
Oct. 2019.
9

10

ibid.

12

ibid.
​Thesheetztweetz. “China and Russia Are

Militarizing Space with 'Energy Weapons'and Anti-Satellite Missiles: Pentagon.”
CNBC,​ CNBC, 13 Feb. 2019,https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/13/pentag
on-warns-of-weaponization-of-space-by-china-russia-report.html.

For example, China blowing up a weather
satellite in 2007 was taken as a threat by
the United States who responded to this bytesting Operation Burnt Frost, the firstanti-satellite missile tested by the UnitedStates in thirty years, and blowing up oneof its satellites. Due to this competition
over the dictatorship of space,misunderstandings are constantly repeated.
13

This constant repetition has led
neighboring countries to join the “super
league” of space powers. Japan and India
made an alliance concerning space
missions and technologies. Countries like
Israel and Iran have been cooperating with
the United States’ mission and started tofund space exploration, in other words
militarizing space.14

Current Situation
Asia
China
China takes a very complex stanceconcerning weaponry in space. In 2014,
China and Russia submitted a draft of theTreaty on the Prevention of the Placementof Weapons in Outer Space to theConference on Disarmament (CD). The
draft prohibited the placement of weaponsin outer space and noted numerous dangers
which might trigger an arms race.
13
14

ibid
​Adams, Dallon. “Weaponized Satellites

and the Cold War in Space.” ​Digital
Trends​, Digital Trends, 1 May 2018,https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/w
eaponized-satellites-and-the-cold-war-in-s
pace/.

However, the Pentagon has recently
announced, “China’s military is becoming
increasingly adept at militarizing
commercial space technologies”(Voanews).15 The United States hasrepeatedly claimed that the submission of
the treaty was nothing surpassed the effort
of propaganda and limiting the UnitedStates’ actions in space. China has
responded back by claiming that “China
has never and will never participate in any
form of arms race in the future.”(CNBC)16
RussiaRussia takes a similar position concerning
the placement of weapons in space and thecreation of a space army. Despite
submitting a draft of the Treaty on thePrevention of the Placement of Weaponsin Outer Space, Russia is feared for the
space weapons that are thought to beinvented during the Soviet Union era.
On November 1, 1963, Russia launched
the first prototype of an anti-satellite
system which was intended to destroy
enemy satellites into pieces. This project
developed a decades-long race of
inventing space weapons and increased the15​Schlein, L. (2018, October 8). US to

Confront Russia, China on Militarizationof Outer Space. Retrieved fromhttps://www.voanews.com/usa/us-confront-russia-china-militarization-outer-space
16​Thesheetztweetz. (2019, February 13).
China and Russia are militarizing spacewith 'energy weapons' and anti-satellite
missiles: Pentagon. Retrieved fromhttps://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/13/pentag
on-warns-of-weaponization-of-space-by-china-russia-report.html

number of countries considered to be
space powers: China and Iran.17
India
India’s prime minister Narenda Modi
announced that India has recently
succeeded in shooting down a low orbiting
missile and that India joined the “super
league” of the space powers.
The main purpose for creating aanti-satellite missile comes from the fearthat China will have full advantage of the
Indian Ocean. In order to prevent China
from enhancing its abilities, the country
joined the space defense race and let out amessage that India is “not just capable todefend on land, water and air but now alsoin space.”(Newsweek)18 China reacted to
the launch of the missile by emphasizing
the importance of the usage of missiles inappropriate situations; however, Chia did
not reject India for launching ananti-satellite missile.
Japan
The growing fear that China, U.S., andRussia will dominate and militarise space
has forced Japan and India to sharesatellite data and surveillance technology.
​Zak, A. (2018, February 15). The
Hidden History of the Soviet
Satellite-Killer. Retrieved fromhttps://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/a9620/the-hidden-history-of-thesoviet-satellite-killer-16108970/
18​Paton, Callum. “India Just Shot down aSatellite for the First Time, Joining ‘Super
League’ of Space Powers.” ​Newsweek,​
Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2019,https://www.newsweek.com/india-just-sho
t-down-satellite-first-time-joining-super-league-space-powers-1376487.
17This partnership, Space Dialogue, will aid
Japan with India’s ocean surveillance andhelp the country track down Chinese naval
vessels as well as North Korean missiles.
In return, Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency (JAXA) will keep tabs on Chinese
Troops trying to attack the Indian Ocean.
Both countries emphasise space situationalawareness (SSA) through the partnership,
as well as raising awareness on the dangers
China bring to space.19
The delegations for Space Dialogue, which
are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Cabinet Office, an official from JAXA,
have also formed similar partnerships with
the U.S., the European Union, and France.
20

Middle East
Iran
Iran’s space development is unclear due tothe lack of public announcements made by
the country. What is known is that Iran has
recently started to proceed in thedevelopment of counter space activity, inorder to attack the U.S. space system.
Since the foundation of its Space Agency
in 2003 is a fairly recent development, Iranis not yet capable of sending humans into
space or creating anti-satellite missiles atthis moment. However, Iran is pursuing
the studies for the creations of anti-satellite​Shaw, Nupur. “India and Japan Awaken
to Risks of Superpower Space Race.”
Nikkei Asian Review​, Nikkei Asian
Review, 8 Jan. 2019,https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insi
giht/India-and-Japan-awaken-to-risks-of-s
uperpower-space-race.
20
​ibid
19

missiles by implementing the technologies
from normal missiles and gaining aid from
North Korea, China, and Russia.21
Though Iran may not have created ananti-satellite missile system, the nation has
managed to make electronic forms ofattacks against space systems, such as
Voice of America (VOA) in 2003 andBritish Broadcasting Corporations (BBC)in 2010. The country is also known for its
ability to spoof GPS signals. In 2011, Iranclaimed that it managed to down a U.S.
drone by jamming the satellite system andspoofing the GPS.22
IsraelAlong with the United States, Israel took
part in the Tactical High Energy Laser(THEL) program, which made asignificant contribution to the developmentof lasers targeting vehicles in space. Afterthe project ended in 2005, the Minister ofDefense ordered the administration for thedevelopment of weapons to continue thestudy and development of lasers. This
resulted in the creation of the Iron Dome,
which “detects, assesses, and intercepts avariety of short-range weapons”(Raytheon)23 including rockets. The laser
can activate in any weather condition orenvironment including rain, low clouds,
and dust storms24. The laser has​“Iron Dome and SkyHunter Systems.”
Raytheon,​
https://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/pro
ducts/irondome
21

22

ibid
ibid.
24
“​ Iron Dome and SkyHunter Systems.”
23

Raytheon,​
https://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/pro
ducts/irondome.

successfully intercepted over two thousandrockets and was able to intercept eighty
percent of the rockets aimed at the densely
populated areas during the Gaza strip25. In
addition, the United States is planning topurchase two of the battlefield-provenlasers, unlike project THEL which finishedunpurchased.

EuropeUnited Kingdom
Russia and China are the concerns of theUnited Kingdom when thinking about
space weaponry. United Kingdom has
been in partnership with the European
Union (EU) regarding space weaponry.
However, due to Brexit, the United
Kingdom may suffer in the future. In spiteof the United Kingdom’s will, it isdiscussed that there is a low chance of thecountry staying in the European Space
Agency26.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom continues
to work with the United States’ military
space activities27. The United Kingdom
has also established a strategy which
explains about defence of the country. The
United Kingdom may develop satellites
which includes laser dazzling in order to​Azulai, Yuval. “Israel Developing New
Laser Missile Defense System.” ​Globes,​
Globes, 6 Dec. 2018,https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-defense-m
inistry-speeds-up-laser-missile-defense-sys
tem-development-1001263646. Accessed
28 Oct. 2019.
26​“As Satellites Become Targets, UK
Military Seeks Closer Ties with Space
Industry.” ​SpaceNews.com​, 7 Nov. 2018,https://spacenews.com/as-satellites-becom
e-targets-u-k-military-seeks-closer-ties-wit
h-space-industry/.
25

27

ibid.

monitor threats from countries such as
Russia and China28.
FranceFrance has recently announced to set up a
new space defence command in September
this year in order to protect their satellites29. This command was triggered by an
incident when there was an announcementthat Russian satellites were spying on
French satellites. French Defense Minister
had stated that “France is not embarking
on a space arms race”(arsTECHNICA).
However, the project outlined by French
officials include satellites with machineguns and some include ground-based laser
system, which can be called as
weaponeries30.
Referring to this project, President Macronhas stated, “We will strengthen our
knowledge of the space situation, we will
better protect our satellites, including an​McGrath, Ciaran. “UK's Defence
Strategy REVEALED: Laser Attacks,
Missiles and Nuclear Weapons MAJOR
Risks.” ​Express.co.uk,​ Express.co.uk, 8
May 2019,
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1124435/uk-defence-strategy-satellites-nucle
ar-missiles-security-threats-galileo.
29“France to Create New Space Defence
Command in September.” ​BBC News​,
BBC, 13 July 2019,www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-489762
71.
30​Berger, Eric. “To Protect Its Satellites,
France Outlines Ambitious
Space-Weapons Program.” ​Ars Technica​,
25 July 2019,https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/07/fr
ance-says-it-will-create-its-own-space-bas
ed-weapons-program/.
28

active way” (BBC)31. There has been someunclear comments on whether France will
be working on space weaponry or not.

North America
United States
The first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, went
into orbit on January 31, 1958. In 1969, an
American astronaut stepped onto themoon, and from there, six Apollo missions
were made to explore the moon between
1969 and 1972.32
For recent actions, on June 18, 2018,
President Donald Trump has announced tostart a new space force as the sixth militarybranch to carry out missions in the spacedomain.33
On August 8, 2019, United Launch
Alliance (ULA) has launched Atlas V
rocket, which allows the U.S. Air Force tohave a highly advanced communications
satellite in space. A secure militarycommunications satellite will provide
jam-proof communications between U.S.

​“France to Create New Space Defence
Command in September.” ​BBC News​,
BBC, 13 July 2019,https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe48976271.
32​“A Brief History of Space Exploration.”
The Aerospace Corporation,​
https://aerospace.org/article/brief-history-s
pace-exploration.
33​Pawlyk, Oriana. “It's Official: Trump
Announces Space Force as 6th Military
Branch.” ​Military.com​, 18 June 2018,https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/06/18/its-official-trump-announces-spaceforce-6th-military-branch.html.
31

national leadership and deployed militaryforces.34
CanadaCanada holds disapproval towards space
weapons, and is willing to ban thoseweapons. ​Foreign Affairs Minister Bill
Graham states, “Canada will continue tooppose the concept of military weapons inouter space even if Ottawa joins the UnitedStates in a ballistic-missile defence
program” (Sallot, 2003)35.​ He further
mentioned that the motive for Canada toban space weapons is to maintain thesafety of the country36.
White Paper, articulated by Canada in1994 states that Canada understands theimportance of space community andsecurity. This paper also proves theflexibility of the future implementation ofsurveillance system in order to prevent
possible attacks from the United States37.

Latin America
Argentina
34​Thompson, Amy. “Atlas V Rocket

Launches Advanced Communications
Satellite for US Military.” ​Space.com,​
Space, 8 Aug. 2019,https://www.space.com/air-force-militarysatellite-launch-aefh5.html.
35​“Canada Rejects Any Weapons in Outer
Space.” ​The Globe and Mail,​ 18 Apr.
2018,
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-rejects-any-weapons-in-out
er-space/article1014264/
36
37

ibid.
​Kowal, L.-C. H. (n.d.). PREVENTING

THE WEAPONIZATION OF SPACE.
Retrieved fromhttps://www.cfc.forces.gc.ca/259/181/76_k
owal.pdf

Argentina had signed the joint statementwith Russia under the topic of space
weapons. The statement makes sure that
Russia and Argentina will never be thefirst country to put weapons in outer space38. Argentina has been active in thedevelopment of the space missiles sincethe 1980s. However, the United Statesinsisted the restriction on programme thatArgentina was working on39.
Argentina has been one of the Space
Station run by China. It has been acontroversial topic whether Argentina
should be in China’s orbit40. Although
Argentina does not have a clear positionon the implementation of space weapons,
it is clear that threat from China exists.
BrazilIn the 1990s, Brazil abandoned all theactivities which relate to ballistic missiles.
However, there are some concerns frommilitary control over the space launchvehicle (SLV) programme that Brazil may
be actually developing its ballistic missile

38​Sputnik. “Russia, Argentina Sign

Statement Against Weapons in Space.”
Sputnik International,​ 28 May 2014,
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201405281
90191573-Russia-Argentina-Sign-Stateme
nt-Against-Weapons-in-Space/.
39​Pike, John. “Space.” ​Argentina Space
Facilities,​
https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/worl
d/argentina/launch.htm.
40​Londoño, Ernesto. “From a Space
Station in Argentina, China Expands Its
Reach in Latin America.” ​The New YorkTimes,​ The New York Times, 28 July
2018,
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/28/worl
d/americas/china-latin-america.html.

technology and exporting it to othercountries41.

(MTCR)43 as well as concluded a treaty
between Russia44.

Brazil has been focusing on thedevelopment of space technology for thelast few years. However, an explosion of
the space centre in 2004, which resulted in
21 casualties, made Brazil take a stepback from the research and developmentof the space programme. They resumed
their research in 2006. In 2007, Brazil
launched its first rocket, VSB-30. At thesame time, Brazil signed an agreementwith Argentina to jointly develop asatellite that will provide and share muchinformation42.

Furthermore, the South African
government also mentioned in 2018 thatthey are aware of the development thatspace weaponization will conduct. South
Africa has also agreed to support China
and Russia’s draft treaty45.

AfricaSouth Africa
South Africa’s missile programme started
in the 1960s. In 1989, South Africa
launched what the country calls a “booster
rocket”, which includes ballistic missiles.
However, South Africa abandoned its
missile and space launch programmes in1993 and dismantled related facilities
which were under international
observation. In 1995, South Africa joined
the Missile Technology Control Regime​Brazil. (2015, July). Retrieved fromhttps://www.nti.org/learn/countries/brazil/
42​COHA, Alex Sánchez -. “SpaceTechnology Comes to Latin America: Partof the Hemisphere's Road to Autonomy.”
Venezuelanalysis.com,​ 12 Sept. 2008,https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/3787.
41

Oceania
Australia
Australia started its space development in
1967, being the third nation to design andlaunch a satellite to orbit Earth. The
project aimed to research the connection
between the upper atmosphere, climate,
and weather, which may assist the US incollecting physical data for research
programs. The project also aimed todevelop and demonstrate Australia's
capability for developing a satellite, using
advanced technology and low-cost launchfacilities46.
​“South Africa.” ​Nuclear Threat Initiative- Ten Years of Building a Safer World,​
https://www.nti.org/learn/countries/south-africa/.
44​Dunk, F. G. von der. (1995). TWO NEWNATIONAL SPACE LAWS: RUSSIA
AND SOUTH AFRICA. Retrieved fromhttps://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewco
ntent.cgi?article=1046&context=spacelaw
45​“Raising Alarm over Possible Space
Wars, First Committee Delegates Explore
Ways to Build New Order for Preventing
Celestial Conflict, Confrontation |Meetings Coverage and Press Releases.”United Nations​, United Nations,
https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/gadis36
09.doc.htm.
46​WRESAT - Weapons Research
Establishment Satellite. (2016, April 27).
Retrieved from43

Recently, the need for developing new
types of low-cost satellites has increased.
Due to many conditions, global weather
services have traditionally been supported
by large and expensive satellite systems.
The changes in the global space industry
have allowed weather services to explore
traditional data streams with data fromcommercial suppliers, where new analytics
methods can better integrate data47.

In 2017, a rocket, made by an Americancompany, was launched from New
Zealand. The company had chosen New
Zealand for the site because of thegeographical location. New Zealand is
known to be positioned well to launch thesatellites into north to south orbit.
Therefore, there is a high chance that othercountries from around the world will use
the location to launch theirs49.

New Zealand
New Zealand recently joined the spacedevelopment race, and is putting effort into
the technological improvements. Despite
the country’s new entry in the race,, New
Zealand is dependent on satellites andspace security is a concern. New Zealandconsiders space security from two different
views: space debris and militarization of
space48.

Case Studies
Since the Cold War, numerous space
weapons have been invented. The space
weapons include those which can track
missiles, anti-satellite missiles, andanti-satellite missiles. This section will be
providing a brief explanation on a few ofthe space weapons.

Case Study 1
https://www.dst.defence.gov.au/innovation/wresat-—-weapons-research-establishmen
t-satellite
47​REVIEW OF AUSTRALIA’S SPACE
INDUSTRY CAPABILITY
https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/g/files/n
et3906/f/June
2018/document/pdf/review_of_australias_
space_industry_capability_-_report_from_the_expert_reference_group.pdf. (2018,
March). Retrieved fromhttps://www.industry.gov.au/sites/g/files/n
et3906/f/June
2018/document/pdf/review_of_australias_
space_industry_capability_-_report_from_the_expert_reference_group.pdf
48​New Zealand Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade. “Space Security.” ​New
Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs andTrade,​
https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/peace-rights-

Near-Field Infrared Experiment(NFIRE)The satellite used in the Near-Field
Infrared Experiment (NFIRE) was
proposed by the Missile Defense Agency(MDA)50 and launched on April 24, 2007.
NFIRE was initially invented for the
purpose of distinguishing a missile from aand-security/international-security/space-s
ecurity/.
49​“New Zealand Space Launch Is First
from a Private Site.” ​BBC News,​ BBC, 25
May 2017,
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-399
71843.
50​Near Field InfraRed Experiment . (2016,
July 28). Retrieved fromhttps://www.mda.mil/global/documents/pd
f/nfire.pdf

rocket. The satellite originally had two killvehicles which would fire when a ballistic
missile would enclose within four
kilometers of the missile. These killvehicles were later removed and thesatellite changed its purpose.
The NFIRE successfully collected data,such as hyper-temporal short wave data
which supports research and developmentof early launch detection and tracking
capabilities. These data collections
evidently showed the capabilities oftracking missiles through sunlit clouds.

Case Study 2
Ground-Based Lasers
Since Australia found the capabilities todetect, locate, and track space debris,numerous countries have started
conducting research to reduce the amountof space debris orbiting Earth. One
possible solution is implementing
ground-based laser which will track thedebris and later destroy it.51
While ground-based lasers can be used forprotection, the Air Force has announced
that it will test two lasers to test how thelasers can be used against drones. The Air
Force explained that the laser is able toconstantly fire without wasting any
ammunition and that it will be useful when
attacking small drones launched by ISIS.
Furthermore, the technology used to takedown drones can be applied to​GROUND-BASED LASERS IN
SPACE OPERATIONS. (2018, June).
Retrieved fromhttp://airpower.airforce.gov.au/APDC/med
ia/PDF-Files/Pathfinder/PF312-Ground-ba
sed-lasers-in-space-operations.pdf
51

anti-satellite weapons by using mirrors
aiming at the targeted satellite.52

Case Study 3
Project Tactical High Energy Laser(THEL)
Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) is ahigh-energy laser beam generator based on
deuterium fluoride chemical laser (DFCL)
technologies. The laser had a tracking andpointing system along with a battle
management system and an organic firing
system53. Project THEL was a project
between the U.S. and Israel, and it took
place from 1999 to 2005. The laser was
designed and created during the first four
years, and field experiments took place
during the remaining five years. During
the years when the laser was activated, it
destroyed 46 rockets, including surprise
attacks against Katyusha rockets. While
THEL significantly contributed to thedevelopment of lasers used as weapons,
despite its ability to activate in any kind of
weather or environment, many countries
were unwilling to pay the price, which led
to the shutdown of the project. 54
52​Gregg, Aaron. “Air Force to Deploy

Ground-Based Lasers in First Field Test of'Directed Energy' Weapon.” ​The
Washington Post​, WP Company, 2 Aug.
2019,https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/08/02/air-force-deploy-ground-based-lasers-first-field-test-directed-energy-we
apon/?noredirect=on.
53​“Chemical High-Energy Laser Systems.”
Northrop Grumman​,https://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/ChemicalHighEnergyLaser/Tactical
HighEnergyLaser/Pages/default.aspx.
54​Pike, John. “Space.” ​Mobile Tactical
High Energy Laser (MTHEL)​,Past Actions
United Nations Office
For Disarmament Affairs
On October 4, 1957, the USSR launched
the first artificial satellite. Prior to thislaunch, the United Nations started to takeactions to prevent countries fromdestroying the concept of a peaceful
outerspace. They focused on the control ofspace weapons and military in space toprevent mass destruction. 55
Outer Space Treaty(Treaty on Principles Governing the
Activities of States in the Explorationand Use of Outer Space, Including theMoon and Other Celestial Bodies)
Outer Space Treaty was adopted by the
UN General Assembly in 1966. This treaty
includes new provisions to theinternational exploration of outer space,which was adopted in 1962. Its goal is to
explore the space for the benefit and in theinterest of all countries. This party agrees
not to develop nuclear weapons in space or
any other weapon that might lead to thedestruction of the space. The actions
include testing weapons in space,establishing a military base, andmaneuvering on celestial bodies.

Other Treaties
Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963
https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/syste
ms/mthel.htm.
55​UNODA United Nations Office for
Disarmament Affairs -Outer Space . (n.d.).
Retrieved fromhttps://www.un.org/disarmament/topics/ou
terspace/

This treaty prohibits the action ofexperimenting and testing nuclear
explosions in the atmosphere or outerspace.
Liability Convention of 1972
This treaty established the procedure tocover the damages or destruction of space
object of another state.

UN Resolution
The UN General Assembly has beencalling for the peaceful use of space andthe prevention of an arms race in space for22 years. In the past there have been five
relevant General Assembly resolutions.
The Declaration of Legal Principles
Governing the Activities of States in the
Exploration and Uses of Outer Space(1963) allowed the Outer Space Treaty to
become valid. In addition, the Declaration
on International Cooperation in the
Exploration and Use of Outer Space for
the Use and Benefit and in the Interest of
All States (1966), resolutions on Direct
Television Broadcasting, Remote Sensingof Earth from outer space, and the Use of
Nuclear Power in Outer Space have been
made in the past. 56

Questions to Consider
How does each nation define space
weapons?
How do nations view the problem​International Legal Agreements Relevant
to Space Weapons. (2004, February 11).
Retrieved fromhttps://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/s
pace-weapons/international-legal-agreements
56

concerning the ownership of outer space?
How can the UN raise awareness on thedangers of creating ballistic missiles, andother space weapons?
To what degree can each country explore
space freely? Consider the treaties andresolutions already submitted to the UN.
How can nations and the UN prevent
terrorist groups from accessing space
weapons?
The creation and test launching of space
weapons have created a massive amount of
space debris. Will nations takeresponsibility for the debris? If so, howwill the nations manage to clean it?

Tips and Advice from the
ChairsAs the chair of the Intermediate
Committee, we hope that all delegates
attend the conference understanding the
topic and their nation’s stance. When
researching for this conference, start byresearching the fundamental structures of
the country: geography, population, allies,
and etc. After understanding the basic
structure of the country, try to connect thecharacteristics delegates researched to the
topic of the conference or to the facts
written inside of the background guide. If
delegates have extra time, we advice
delegates to research neighboring
countries as well as the delegate’s allies.
Along with the research, we would likedelegates to think of subtopics to discuss
during moderated speeches.

We will review the flow of debate before
the conference begins, so please do nothesitate to ask questions then if you are notfamiliar with how Model UN is runned.
We are excited to see an intense debate
throughout the conference.

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