Will the "Bad Guys" Shoot Down U.S. Satellites?

• Author: Book, Elizabeth G.
• Position: Vulnerability of military satellite systems and ground stations - Brief Article

"There's nothing for the U.S. to shoot at in space," said space analyst John Pike of globalsecurity.org, arguing that the United States does not need to put up weapons in space. Pike spoke at the Cato Institute conference on military and space, in Washington, D.C. He said, in turn, the "bad guys" have plenty of things to shoot at in space, referring to enemies of the United States.

However, Pike warned the ground stations that monitor satellites in space are more vulnerable than the satellites. If North Korea's military wanted to send troops to attack those stations, it could easily do so, he said.

The United States has three satellite monitoring ground stations: in Washington, D.C.; Hawaii and the United Kingdom. "Ground stations are easier and cheaper...