In debating the space weapons issue, we must all take care we are
dealing with facts. A few weeks ago, Space News carried a major item
on the XSS-11
inspection satellite. The project officer from AFRL is quoted as
saying it's not a step to an ASAT weapon, but then it quotes an arms
control guy named Jeffrey Lewis who says it is. Lewis offers, as
evidence, a paper from 2000 titled, "Military Microsatellites" which
recommended developing an inspection satellite which could also,
potentially, be a counterspace system. I was lead author on that
paper, which reported on a 1999 study by ANSER for AFSPC.
I wrote a polite note to Mr Lewis, reminding him the paper carried a
disclaimer saying it did not represent AFSPC or DoD policy. Further,
it was a conceptual study that was briefed to a few offices in AFSPC
but never incorporated into formal AFSPC plans, never funded, and never

implemented. His reply: I was trying to feed him disinformation. In

other words, an out of context quote supported his position, so he was
sticking to it. Then the NY Times said the XSS-11 had weapons on
board. Completely false, but ...sigh.. what can you do?

Matt Bille
ALL POSTS REPRESENT SOLELY THE PERSONAL OPINION OF THE AUTHOR