Newswise — India’s space program, originally civil in nature, has become increasingly militarized. This has recently manifested itself in India with an interest in developing anti-satellite weapons. The Secure World Foundation (SWF) is hosting a special panel discussion on Tuesday, March 8, 2011: India’s Military Space Efforts and Regional Security Considerations.
This panel will examine the possible reasons for this change, review how such a development could influence overall Asian security, and discuss how the United States and other space-faring nations could work with India in the future.
Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director of the Secure World Foundation will lead the panel discussion. She will highlight outcomes from a SWF co-sponsored conference held earlier this year in New Delhi called: "Space, Science and Security – The Role of Regional Expert Discussions."
Joining Samson are panelists:
-- Dr. Bharath Gopalaswamy of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute: He will detail a recently completed study that examined the debris consequences of an India-China space conflict.
-- Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan of the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation: She will speak on India’s motivations for its anti-satellite weapon interests.
Chairing this discussion is Peter A. Garretson, Lt Col, USAF, a former Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) International Affairs Fellow who studied Indo-U.S. Space Cooperation at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) in New Delhi, India.
SWF’s Samson said: “This event will highlight a growing space power whose activities could affect the long-term usability of space. The United States should strive to find ways in which India can be a partner in ensuring the sustainable use of space.”
This Secure World Foundation event will be held Tuesday, March 8, from 3:30 -5:00 pm at 1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.
To RSVP for this panel discussion, please contact by email or phone:
Tiffany Chow, SWF Assistant, at:
Email: [email protected] Phone: (202) 462-1842
Panel presentations are to be followed by a cocktail reception for event attendees.
NOTE: For background information on the January New Delhi meeting, Space, Science, and Security: The Role of Regional Expert Discussion, go to:
http://swfound.org/events/2011/space,-science,-and-security-the-role-of-regional-expert-discussions
About Secure World Foundation
Secure World Foundation (SWF) is headquartered in Superior, Colorado, with offices in Washington, D.C. and Brussels, Belgium.
SWF is a private operating foundation dedicated to the secure and sustainable use of space for the benefit of Earth and all its peoples.
SWF engages with academics, policy makers, scientists and advocates in the space and international affairs communities to support steps that strengthen global space sustainability. It promotes the development of cooperative and effective use of space for the protection of Earth’s environment and human security.
The Foundation acts as a research body, convener and facilitator to advocate for promoting key space security and other space related topics and to examine their influence on governance and international development.
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