On the Golden Dome: how Trump’s missile shield tests space law, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• The “Golden Dome” is a $175-billion U.S. initiative to deploy satellite interceptors for missile defence.
• These space-based interceptors may use kinetic or directed-energy weapons.
• The project skirts the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (OST) by avoiding Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) deployment.
• Russia and China have condemned the move as destabilising.
• India, a U.S. partner in space situational awareness (SSA), faces normative dilemmas.
• The initiative could erode existing arms control norms and accelerate space weaponisation.
• The U.S. action challenges the interpretive norm established by the UN’s PAROS resolutions.

Detailed Insights:

• Legal Ambiguity in the OST: Article IV of the OST prohibits WMDs in space but is silent on conventional weapons, creating legal grey zones for kinetic interceptors.
• Strategic Instability: Space-based interceptors could provide a first-strike advantage, undermining deterrence and fostering global mistrust.
• Dual-Use Concerns: Kinetic interceptors, though claimed for defence, could target enemy satellites, increasing the risk of escalation.
• India’s Diplomatic Dilemma: While engaged with the U.S. on SSA, India supports peaceful space use and the PAROS framework.
• Impact on India’s Space Law: India’s upcoming Space Activities Bill must clarify its stance on defence cooperation and dual-use systems.
• Threat to Normative Consensus: If unchecked, Golden Dome-type systems may lead to an orbital arms race and weaken long-standing space governance frameworks.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Kinetic Interceptors: Non-explosive weapons that destroy targets via high-velocity impact.
• Directed-Energy Weapons (DEWs): Systems that emit focused energy (e.g., lasers) to disable targets.
• Outer Space Treaty (OST), 1967: International treaty governing peaceful use of outer space, prohibiting WMDs but ambiguous on conventional weapons.
• PAROS (Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space): UN initiative aimed at preventing space weaponisation through non-binding resolutions.