| Abstract: | The onset of the Space Age had strong military overtones, but these were restrained by international agreement and the creation of civilian-led agencies such as NASA. Currently, however, a number of developments threaten to seriously undermine the concept of peaceful utilization of space, in particular the Strategic Defense Initiative, anti-satellite weapons research, and the routine intentional destruction of military satellites. There are nevertheless several factors mitigating military influence in space: the arrival of ‘non-superpowers’ as significant space explorers; greater ecological awareness; the virtual end of the Cold War; reaction against the cost and wastefulness of open-ended military expenditure; and the realization of the comparative efficiency of civil as opposed to military space expenditure in stimulating industry. |
