SOCIETAL ASSESSMENT - INTERNATIONAL ISSUES A. Daurio Planning Research Corporation Studies were undertaken in essentially two phases. Preliminary assessment studies dealt with international agreements (primarily associated with availability of geostationary orbit positions, allocation of the radiofrequency spectrum and microwave exposure standards) and military implications of the SPS. Other papers concerned with prospective organizational structures and finance and management contributed to a preliminary understanding of international issues. A major preliminary conclusion was that the scope and quality of international tort laws and existing space treaties present no unusual legal prohibitions to SPS development. International acceptance would be strongly influenced by both the real and perceived military character and capabilities of the SPS. An international organization - a la INTELSAT - was strongly indicated for SPS. Two studies are being done currently: 1) a further study of military implications, whose primary purpose is to demonstrate how a non-military SPS can be achieved; 2) a study to develop a strategy for international participation in the SPS program. Threats posed by each of the major components of the SPS were considered to be of four types: 1) force delivery, 2) C3I, 3) military support and 4) institutional. It was found that the present reference system capabilities are primarily of a military support nature. Most other military threats would require deliberate modification of the current reference system design. The SPS is vulnerable to: 1) either conventional attack or nuclear weapons, 2) electronic or chemical/biological warfare, 3) terror!sm/sabotage, 4) mutiny/ strikes, or 5) collisions with other space objects. However, overall, it remains to be seen whether SPS is any more vulnerable than other ground-based enery systems to such threats. It appears to be no more vulnerable than other systems in the economic infrastructure (water reservoirs, pipelines, roads, etc.) Safeguards which can reduce threats and vulnerabilities to a tolerable level are of a technological or institutional nature. Technical means include long range space surveillance or adoption of counterforce tactics. Two important institutional safeguards would be: 1) resident inspection in orbit and 2) agreement governing proximity of objects to satellites and the right of self defense. Development of an international participation strategy is important even for the situation in which an SPS program is purely American. Some form of international involvement is inevitable for these reasons: 1) the SPS uses international resources such as the geostationary orbit and the radiofrequency spectrum; 2) consequently, the SPS is subject to existing international treaties and conventions governing use of these resources and responsible international agencies (e.g., ITU and UN); 3) SPS operations have a global impact which other nations would not be able to ignore. In addition, the SPS is an energy technology with a potential for global development and use. On this basis, it is desirable to involve other nations. Findings of this current study have been based on: 1) foreign assessments of the SPS appearing in the literature and ascertained through existing contacts
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