Holding the High Ground: Operational Considerations for the Earth-Moon System
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Winter 2022
Abstract
Space operations such as space domain awareness and space control can no longer be confined to that which is found in geosynchronous orbit. International activities—commercial and military—and threats to the planet itself exist or are increasing across the entire Earth-Moon system. This reality requires a new Earth-Moon system (EM-Sys) taxonomy to accurately classify missions such as space domain awareness and better apply resources to and development of the same. This work presents such a taxonomy for the classification of space extending from near- Earth orbit to beyond the Earth sphere of influence. The article discusses space law considerations of Earth- Moon system operations with respect to the patentability and property rights of orbits and trajectories that may provide economic and/or space control advantages.
Source Publication
Aether: A Journal of Strategic Airpower & Spacepower
Recommended Citation
Wilmer, A., & Bettinger, R. A. (2022, Winter). Holding the high ground: Operational considerations for the Earth-Moon system. AEther: A Journal of Strategic Airpower & Spacepower, 1(4), 63–78.