ABSTRACT
US government documents and official statements clearly state US intentions to “deter, defend against, and defeat aggression” in space. Space assets are critical to the civilian and military sectors and so a key national interest. However, while the phrase “deter, defend, defeat” has an easily remembered, jingoistic ring to it, whether all three words were carefully thought through before inclusion or whether they were selected largely for alliteration value is arguable. Whereas US efforts in the areas of defend and defeat are increasingly robust and muscular, US attention and commitment to deterrence by anything other than punishment appears increasingly thin.
