This document discusses space choke points and potential threats in space. It notes that while space does not have stationary choke points like on land, there are regions where many important satellites orbit due to constraints. These dense orbital regions could be vulnerable targets. The document explores using new visualization tools to help identify orbital changes, debris clouds, rendezvous maneuvers, and other activities that could indicate threats. These tools could help analyze which parts of orbits may be most at risk and determine where satellites could more easily be maneuvered to attack other satellites.

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Space Policy Issues
- Space Choke Points -
12 December, 2012

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Traditional Orbital View
6/30/2014 8:18:51 PM Szymanski UNCLASSIFIED Page 2 of 16 Pages>13,000 Space Objects Confuses Users as to Possible Attack Patterns Developing

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Satellite Attack Warning (SAW)
GEO
MEO
LEO
Military Choke Point:
A region of earth or space
where systems of military
consequence concentrate due
to operational, environmental
or geophysical constraints.Red Objects
In Normally
Blue Zone
Space Has Choke Points As In Terrestrial Systems – They Just Are Not Stationary

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SAW – Icons
• Based on Mil-Std-2525B
• 220 New Space Icons
Adversary UnknownNeutralFriend
6/30/2014 8:18:51 PM Szymanski UNCLASSIFIED Page 4 of 16 PagesMake SAW Maps Similar to Terrestrial Situation Maps

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SAW – View 1
Satellite Altitude Increase
6/30/2014 8:18:51 PM Szymanski UNCLASSIFIED Page 5 of 16 PagesSpace Objects Orbital Changes Are Easy to Identify

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SAW – View 2
COSMOS 2421 Breakup
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Space Debris Clouds & Their Source Can Easily be Viewed

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SAW – SDIZ
Space
Defense ID
Zones
(SDIZ)
6/30/2014 8:18:51 PM Szymanski UNCLASSIFIED Page 7 of 16 PagesSSA Detection Zones Help Partial Out Operational Responsibility

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SAW – Simulated Attack Against GPS
Red Objects
Approaching
Blue GPS
Zone
New Space Objects
Conducting GEO
Transfer Orbital
Maneuvers
6/30/2014 8:18:51 PM Szymanski UNCLASSIFIED Page 8 of 16 PagesMajor Maneuvers of Space Objects are Easily Visualized

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SAW – “Dead” Stages as Anti-Satellites
(ASATS)
Orbital Change
Over Time
Launch Vehicle
Stages With
Hidden ASAT
Capabilities
6/30/2014 8:18:51 PM Szymanski UNCLASSIFIED Page 9 of 16 PagesSimultaneous Attack Maneuvers Can Easily be Detected

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SAW – Multiple Attacks Against One GPS
Red Rocket Stages Have Large
State Change Scores for RADAR
Cross Sections (RCS)
[Stages Have Changed
Orientation]
6/30/2014 8:18:51 PM Szymanski UNCLASSIFIED Page 10 of 16 PagesSpace Objects Playing Dead Can be Detected With Unusual Movements

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Space Choke Points
Space Object Altitude vs Inclination - LEO
NORAD Satellite Catalog Data as of 2-16-06
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
98.0 98.1 98.2 98.3 98.4 98.5 98.6 98.7 98.8 98.9 99.0
Inclination (Degrees)
Altitude(Kilometers)
Live Non-Military Satellites
Live Military Satellites
Dead Space Objects
Hohmann Maneuver Envelope
at 100 M/sec Delta-V
ORBVIEW-02
SAUDISAT 2
USA 106
CERISE
Red Satellite-2
SNAP-1
USA 172
RADARSAT-I
Red Satellite-1 NOAA 18
Space Junk
6/30/2014 8:18:52 PM Szymanski UNCLASSIFIED Page 11 of 16 PagesThere are Many Potential Sources of Attack

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Sun-Synchronous Choke Points
80 m/s Delta-V 500 m/s Delta-V
523 m/s Delta-V
641 m/s Delta-V
144 m/s Delta-V
448 m/s Delta-V
1317 m/s Delta-V
430 m/s Delta-V
26 m/s Delta-V
459 m/s Delta-V
3607 m/s Delta-V
2826 m/s Delta-V
2543 m/s Delta-V
688 m/s Delta-V
Delta-V Required for
2-Burn Hohmann
Transfer Rendezvous
to Appear Like
Another Satellite
6/30/2014 8:18:52 PM Szymanski UNCLASSIFIED Page 12 of 16 PagesSatellites Can Maneuver to Confuse Targeting Assets

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Example Attack Locations
Optimized for Space Surveillance
6/30/2014 8:18:52 PM Szymanski UNCLASSIFIED Page 13 of 16 PagesSome Parts of a Satellite's Orbit May Be More Vulnerable than Others

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Threat Envelope Chart (TEC) View 1
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Example Threat Envelope View 2
Circle Size Denotes Amount of Delta-V to
Reach Target From This Position In Space
Color of Circle Denotes Amount of Time to
Reach Target From This Position In Space
Red Asterisk Denotes
Location of Target
Black Boxes Denote
Locations of Live
Satellites
Gray Boxes Denote
Locations of Dead
Space Objects
6/30/2014 8:18:52 PM Szymanski UNCLASSIFIED Page 15 of 16 PagesSome Regions of Space May be More Threatening than Others

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Example Threat Envelope View 3
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