US Space Force logo candidates suggested by Trump reelection campaign committee.

By Min Chol

Many countries are concentrating state investment on the space industry with projects for the development of outer space gaining strength internationally.

Russian President Putin, in a recent Security Council meeting, stressed the need to implement the basic state policy on space development by 2030, adding that it is important to take the initiative in this field in order to carry out the national development programme, ensure the security of the country and gain the competitive edge of technology.

Not only China and Russia but also many other countries are jumping on the bandwagon for the research and development of outer space.

Iran is pushing ahead with preparations to send up a new satellite into orbit.

India successfully put into space an unmanned spacecraft for moon exploration last July.

Myanmar is also channelling national efforts into space development in the wake of mapping out a plan for launching its own satellite.

Amid brisk activities for the development of outer space for peaceful purposes on a worldwide scale, risky moves to militarize outer space are getting more pronounced.

The US, which made public a plan for organizing a space force in August last year, has set a goal of founding it as an independent service by 2020. The US president gave an instruction to the Defense Department to draft a bill on organizing the space force.

A dominationist space policy designed to gain military supremacy in outer space was newly approved at a meeting of defence ministers of NATO, which was held in Brussels of Belgium last June.

In September, the French government gave approval to a decision on establishing the space command under the air force.

Japan also announced its plan to build a special space unit and decided to set up a new type of occupation related to outer space in the Self-Defence Forces as a practical measure.

Meanwhile, a new version of Star Wars plan is being spread on the international arena which aims to intercept all ballistic missiles at the early stage of launch by establishing a low-orbit missile defence system.

Saying that growing international moves for space development slowly trigger a space arms race, experts are of the opinion that outer space will be turned into a battlefield when more and more nations thrust themselves into militarizing outer space in the future.

(Pyongyang Times - September 13, 2019)