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historians are confident that, during the Cold War, the The United States: Master of Space? Soviet Union put weapons into orbit—or they tried, and So how did the human race reach the edge of this tried hard. Desperate to counter what they believed to chasm, literally to the brink of the atmosphere? be an emerging US space weapons threat, the Soviets in "Missile defence," said Gagnon. 1987 put their Polyus "laser space battle station"—or He called it the great rue, the big lie, perhaps the battlesat—into orbit. The Polyus, a cylindrical craft that biggest sham of all time. would orbit like a satellite, was equipped with a laser "The so-called missile defense system, the idea of cannon, another laser that could blind any approaching having a bullet-hit-a-bullet in space to protect the ASAT (anti-satellite) weapons and a third cannon that — continental US or Japan, is a Trojan Horse," said Gagnon could release nuclear space mines. It could also release in my interview with him. "That's why Bush was not a cloud of barium as another defensive measure. Shortly concerned that missile defense testing did not go well. after lift-off, however, the Polyus malfunctioned, plunging ‘The true purpose of this arms program is to control and into the South Pacific where it remains to this day. The dominate space. And whoever controls space will Soviets were also working on arming one of their space control the Earth." stations with a high-powered machine- And not just the Earth, added gun that could take out aircraft and Gagnon. If the US were some day to ighter jets. dominate the heavens with battlesats, Think of this scenario: you're flying it would have the ability to strike in an airliner and—without warning, anywhere on Earth at a moment's considering there is no space radar— The 1967 Outer notice—something that many officers igh-powered bullets begin punching in the Pentagon desire, considering it uge holes into the cabin. Such Space Treaty now takes the US at least one to two houghts have made peace activists outlaws weapons of days to strike a target anywhere on the across the world shake their heads in A globe. Think about it: bin Laden astonishment. Can't the human race mass destruction to might not have got away (that's if he es war out of pane Can't Space be be deployed in space wen allowed to en away oe used for peaceful purposes only? . . which even members o e Those are the basic beliefs (packaged or bu celestial bodies military have wondered about). ere in questions) behind the —pbut not weapons But Gagnon said that US plans anti-space-weapons movement. a go further, much further, than Scores of countries and millions of selective "Global Strike" capabilities. If the of people embrace the mantra destruction such as US dominated Earth's orbits, it hat space should be used for would control the "Earth-Moon nuclear-powered battlesats... peaceful purposes only. But in gravity well", he noted. The US he 21st century, the US military, would gain control of these especially the US Air Force and shipping lanes of the future. he US Space Command, along Shipping lanes? Yes, said with their partners in the US Gagnon, so as to make sure that aerospace industry, have probably the US controls helium-3 reached the point of no return. (covered in chapter four of my They believe wholeheartedly and book). without guilt that space wil “The US has made no secret of inevitably be weaponised with battlesats and the like. the fact that it considers space to be the military high They argue that wherever man goes, so go his weapons. ground,” Gagnon stated. "If you master space, you can The 1967 Outer Space Treaty outlaws weapons of mass control the world. The US is already calling itself ‘Master destruction to be deployed in space or on celestial of Space’ [the US Space Command at Peterson Air Force bodies—but not weapons of selective destruction such as _ Base in Colorado refers to itself as such]. Other nations nuclear-powered battlesats, said Gagnon. The Pentagon — will react by considerably increasing their arsenals, and has taken advantage of this loophole, he said. But many treaties will be broken or at risk. How long will it catching on to the Pentagon's space desires are Canada, _ be before weapons are stationed in space—to be aimed China, Russia and India, which are seeking to overhaul _ at any target, anywhere on Earth? How long before the the treaty and establish a new language that will limit ‘Star Wars' fantasy becomes a grim reality?" space weapons. Yet some experts suggest that China's Within the next 20 to 40 years, he suggested. and Russia's desire for a new treaty is a strategy to divert For starters, the US military's plan to dominate Earth's attention away from their own space combat research. orbits are right out in the open. For instance, take the Nevertheless, there are two countries opposing changes Pentagon's doctrine called "Full Spectrum Dominance’, to the 1967 treaty: the US and Israel. Gagnon added. Officially made public in May 2000 at the The United States: Master of Space? So how did the human race reach the edge of this chasm, literally to the brink of the atmosphere? "Missile defence," said Gagnon. He called it the great rue, the big lie, perhaps the biggest sham of all time. "The so-called missile defense system, the idea of having a bullet-hit-a-bullet in space to protect the continental US or Japan, is a Trojan Horse," said Gagnon in my interview with him. "That's why Bush was not concerned that missile defense testing did not go well. The true purpose of this arms program is to control and dominate space. And whoever controls space will control the Earth." Space Treaty outlaws weapons of ‘Mass destruction to be deployed in space or on celestial bodies —but not weapons of selective nuclear-powered battlesats... APRIL - MAY 2011 NEXUS ° 13 The 1967 Outer destruction such as www.nexusmagazine.com