ACIR is honored to host Dr. Mariel Borowtiz who will speak on the topic, "U.S. Space Policy and National Security."
Dr. Borowitz recently returned to the Sam Nunn School after serving a one-year detail at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C."
At present the United States is reliant on Russian rocket engines to launch our reconnaissance satellites. Not only does this reliance have direct implications for our national security launch capabilities, it also means we are funding Russian space and missile technology, while we could be investing in U.S.-based jobs and the defense industrial base. The U.S. needs an innovate, resilient, and economical way to assure space access, particularly for military and government launch programs.
America's Global Positioning System, secure communications and surveillance satellites are lynch pins of the country's armed forces. Beyond these government assets, the U.S. military already relies heavily on the private sector's space-based capabilities. According to a 2013 Defense Business Board report, the U.S. spends about $640 million on commercial satellite services for 40 percent of its communications.
All of these satellites make easy targets, representing a potential and growing vulnerability. For an adversary who seeks to rob U.S. forces of their ability to precisely target in an urban area, know the location of friendly forces, or disrupt sharing of up-to-the minute intelligence gleaned during an on-going operation, there is no better weak link than space assets.
On November 14th, the National Defense Strategy Commission reported that our military superiority has "eroded to a dangerous degree" and could suffer “unacceptably high casualties and loss of major capital assets in its next conflict". It says, “it might struggle to win, or perhaps lose, a war against China or Russia”. All of our land, air, and sea assets depend on our satellite surveillance and communications systems to engage an enemy and survive. This announcement comes out in a most timely manner for our featured speaker.
Come listen to Dr. Mariel Borowitz discuss the future of U.S. Space Policy and its implications for national security.
About Dr. Mariel Borowitz
Mariel Borowtiz is an Assistant Professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research deals with international space policy issues, primarily international cooperation in Earth observing satellites, and satellite data sharing policies. She also looks at international trends in commercial remote sensing and civil-military interactions in remote sensing technology and data. Her research interests extend to human space exploration strategy and developments in space security and space situational awareness.
Dr. Borowitz earned a PhD in public policy at the University of Maryland and a master's degree in international science and technology policy from the George Washington University. She has a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she also earned a minor in Applied International Studies. Dr. Borowitz is currently on detail at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC through the Fall of 2018.
