Space Education and Strategic Applications Journal
a global power requires more than a grand strategy . China ’ s lack of a national space policy leaves room for costly error when devising a space dominance strategy .
The U . S . and China utilize two different ideological underpinnings to establish themselves as dominant space powers . However , nations such as India have no desire , presently , to become a superpower in the space domain . In contrast , the desire is to obtain space-based capabilities to enhance human-kind and societal growth . India suffers internally from poverty and societal challenges , but views space capabilities as a way to improve socioeconomic growth while providing strategic benefits ( LeLe , 2017 , p . 27 ). Science and Technology has deep roots in the culture of India paving the way to India ’ s early investments in the space arena . The philosophical view of India is to eliminate poverty by enhancing sections of its general population ( LeLe , 2017 ). The space domain has provided a path to socioeconomic growth within India and the ability to grow knowledge within their populace .
Examining the strategic view of the U . S ., China , and India ’ s space policies is important to understanding the strategy used within the space domain . Official policy , determined by senior national and military leaders , creates a framework to support national interests while enhancing international presence . The U . S . has a strategic advantage because the establishment of the U . S . NSP allows for the incorporation of directives into strategy . For example , the
U . S . NSP led to the U . S . National Security Space Strategy ( NSSS ). The policy created a standard for the U . S . government to operate from by laying out purpose and expectations . The strategy “ draws upon all elements of national power ” and sets the requirements for active leadership within the space domain ( NSSS , 2011 , p . 5 ). However , the NSSS ( 2011 ) fails to identify the factors associated with Gray Zone activities in the space domain .
In comparison , the China Space Dream does not explore conducting predictive analysis on other space-faring nations to deter or enable an appropriate response to potential Gray Zone activities . Additionally , the lack of an official space policy for China creates difficulty in determining the direction of China ’ s space program . The concept of the Gray Zone requires nations to understand how and when such activities would be utilized . The nature of the space domain is ambiguous ; therefore , it requires proactive policies and established objectives to deter , mitigate , and / or prevent such activities .
In contrast , India has taken a different approach . India understands the importance of space-based capabilities . However , India ’ s foundational principles stem from philosophical thinking based on the improvement of its populace . The lack of a national space policy leaves India with a smaller budget for space capability development . LeLe ( 2017 ) notes India utilizes only 1 % of their budget for space-based development . The goal of India can be construed as backwards , but the philosoph-
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