Guidance

Space: dependencies, vulnerabilities and threats

A summary of military and civilian dependencies on space capabilities, the vulnerabilities of such systems, and the threats that they face.

Documents

Details

Multinational Experiment 7 (MNE7) examines a number of issues relating to access to the global commons across the space, maritime and cyber domains. As lead for one of the space objectives, the Ministry of Defence’s Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) has, with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), produced this handbook on space dependencies, vulnerabilities and threats.

‘Space: dependencies, vulnerabilities and threats’ also acts as a mini space primer, describing:

  • why space is different
  • why the type of orbit a satellite is in is important, and
  • what capabilites space systems can deliver.

Additionally, the handbook describes a simple methodology for conducting a survey of space dependency across a state’s critical national infrastructure. It also details 8 case studies, illustrating how space is used in a range of military and civilian situations, to assist the reader in understanding where their own dependencies may lie.

DCDC is the UK lead for MNE7, a collaborative effort involving more than 20 countries.

Published 30 January 2012