KU moot discusses perils space arms race

Space, the final frontier, is now emerging as a future battleground with aggressive arms race and militarisation by the developed countries.

Speakers highlighted the perils of weaponisation in space and the perils of satellite debris at a two-day international conference on space science and technology organised by the Institute of Space Science and Technology of the University of Karachi organised to celebrate World Space Science 2024 week.

The KU ISST hosted the inaugural session of the international event at the Chinese Teachers Memorial Auditorium on Tuesday. KU Vice Chancellor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said many countries use surveillance satellites to monitor other nations' military activities. Some have developed anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons to destroy or disable satellites.However, destroying satellites risks creating space debris, threatening other satellites and spacecraft, and could trigger an arms race, hindering peaceful space cooperation.

The KU Director ISST Professor Dr Muhammad Jawed Iqbal, and Absar Ahmad from ISST in their joint paper shared the complex and evolving landscape of space militarisation, distinguishing it from the more aggressive concept of weaponisation.

They highlighted the potential hazards associated with militarisation, emphasising the need for international cooperation and regulatory frameworks to ensure the peaceful use of outer space. According to them, it aims to foster a deeper understanding of the strategic dynamics shaping space as a new frontier of global security.