Weapons in Space: The Strategic Defense Initiative

Summary:

Dr. Aaron Bateman is an assistant professor of history and international affairs at George Washington University. Prior to graduate school, he served as a US Air Force intelligence officer. In this episode, he discusses his book Weapons in Space: Technology, Politics, and the Rise and Fall of the Strategic Defense Initiative (MIT Press, 2024).

What You'll Learn:

• What the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) actually was and how it fit within the broader legal and political landscape governing military activities in space.
• Vulnerabilities in Cold War communication systems and the development of layered global networks stretching from undersea cables to satellites in space.
• The realities of space warfare today, from satellite hacking to the Golden Dome project.

And much, much more. ...