3.2.3 Internationalization The more logical approach to developing and deploying the SPS from military and security considerations may be to internationalize it from the beginning. Security procedures could then be designed to distribute cost and responsibility among the members of the association of nations formed to exploit the SPS concept. The formation of such an association and the equitable distribution of costs, opportunities, and benefits should facilitate the forging of agreements to obtain needed orbit slots and frequency assignments. When considering the requirements and opportunities for agreements and/or for internationalization of the SPS, several facts stand out. • From figure 2.2 it can be seen that the part of the geosynchronous orbit that is of greatest interest to the United States is approximately one-fourth of the orbit that passes over South America and west of it. • This location is on the other side of the world from the U.S.S.R. and China. Military equipment (and forces) in space protecting SPS and monitoring this region of the world should not cause a maximum level of U.S.S.R./China concern. • Although South and Central American countries would be easy targets, they are not logical U.S. targets. • The U.S.S.R. land mass is one of the least favorable locations with respect to a satellite in geosynchronous orbit for receiving power. The long atmospheric transmission paths and the oblique surface of the earth at this location (relative to a line from GEO) may combine to make SPS service to a large part of Russia marginal. A low earth orbit (LEO) relay SPS may be of more interest to Russia.^/ 3.3 RELATIVE VULNERABILITY Communication satellites located in GEO are considered by some to be vulnerable to direct ascent interceptors and to orbiting satellite killers. The COMSAT’s prime power, control, and electronic systems are also vulnerable to nuclear radiation and to high-energy laser and particle-beam weapons. The SPS, being much larger, is usually considered to be more vulnerable and, like the communication satellite, can be vulnerable to overt military attack in space and on the ground. Actually its size may permit the use of such techniques as redundancy, g/ — The orbits used for this LEO SPS could be selected to satisfy both energy distribution and military objectives.
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