On Friday, June 17, 2016 from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m., the Strategy Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security released its fifth Atlantic Council Strategy Paper, “Toward a New National Security Space Strategy: Time for a Strategic Rebalancing.”

The paper, written by Theresa Hitchens, senior research scholar at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland and Joan Johnson-Freese, professor of national security affairs at the US Naval War College, features a foreword by former vice chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and commander of US Strategic Command, Gen. James Cartwright, USMC (Ret.), and posits that the United States has a moment to rebalance its strategy for national security in space. In particular, the authors propose that the US reduce its focus on militarizing space while emphasizing diplomacy and other areas of engagement. While they acknowledge growing threats from Russia, China, and other actors, they believe a militaristic approach to space policy and strategy will make the United States less safe.

The Atlantic Council Strategy Papers series is designed to enrich the public debate and build consensus on the great strategic challenges of our time, as well as to help shape strategic thinking in US and allied governments, the private and nonprofit sectors, and the global media.