Arms Control in Outer Space: History and Prospectus

In this ACIS paper, Assistant Secretary Ford discusses longstanding efforts to find effective forms of arms control in outer space and the reasons such efforts have failed in the modern era, before exploring what prospects there yet may be for international efforts to reduce risk, increase transparency and predictability, and head off the dangers of an outer space arms race – even as both the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China are rushing to weaponize the space domain.