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Dr. Jessica West

@jessicawestphd.bsky.social
140 followers 43 following 230 posts

Exploring peace, security, and space tech with a critical eye and a human touch. Research: Grey Zones of Space Governance bit.ly/4jaj0Zo ; Hidden Harms in Outer Space bit.ly/3DTnBPJ Reach out to connect and collaborate 🚀 ⭐ 🌍 🛰

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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
1/4 Space weapons! 🧵 One part of the U.S. space-weapons announcement deserves more attention: In addition to acknowledging “on-orbit space control weapons,” Troy Meink said Golden Dome’s space-based interceptors have moved to “flight-ready hardware.” www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article...
spaceforce.mil
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Well. This moved quickly. Last week I wrote about the space-security interregnum: are weapons already in orbit, or is that threshold still ahead? Today, US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the US has “on-orbit space control weapons.” breakingdefense.com/2026/09/spac...
breakingdefense.com
Space Force has 'space control weapons' on orbit, Air Force secretary reveals - Breaking Defense
Troy Meink didn't elaborate on what "weapons" the US deployed, but revealed new info on other space and unmanned Air Force programs.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
This week is the third session of the Open-Ended Working Group on #PAROS (space security) in Geneva. I’m not live-posting but I’ll try to share a few daily reflections as the discussions unfold. To catch up on what I'm watching, see below: www.linkedin.com/posts/jessic...
linkedin.com
#paros | Jessica West, PhD
The UN Open-Ended Working Group on #PAROS begins this week. The working papers circulated so far, from Pakistan, the EU, the UK, Russia, Japan, Canada, and Australia/the Philippines/Singapore, suggest...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
I’m not live-posting the #PAROS OEWG this time, but I’ve shared a few early reflections on the working papers circulated so far, including risk reduction, DA-ASAT test ban, and protection of civilian space services. 🔽 www.linkedin.com/posts/jessic...
linkedin.com
#paros | Jessica West, PhD
The UN Open-Ended Working Group on #PAROS begins this week. The working papers circulated so far, from Pakistan, the EU, the UK, Russia, Japan, Canada, and Australia/the Philippines/Singapore, suggest...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
#WeekendReading We’ve spent decades talking about preventing an arms race in space, while building the capabilities for one. The problem isn’t peace. It’s that we haven’t asked it to set limits. 🔗 iai.tv/articles/pea...
iai.tv
Peace in space is a fiction we can't afford
<p><em>Following Artemis II, space as humanity's shared frontier is once again in the spotlight. And most nations purport to agree, space should be reserved for peace. In the build-up to <a href="http...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Space security: what's #climate got to do with it? PLENTY. And vice versa. Thanks to @cdainstitute.bsky.social for making this conversation between my two halves happen. cdainstitute.ca/from-orbit-t...
cdainstitute.ca
From Orbit to Earth: Climate Risks to Space-Enabled Defence and Security Systems | CDA Institute
This op-ed is part of a Special Series on the 4th Montreal Climate Security Summit (8-9 October 2025), co-hosted by the CDA Institute and the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCA...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
New brief: Why Space Needs More Canada Capability alone is not enough. Stability in space now depends on how systems are governed in practice. Artemis II underscores the shift from exploration to sustained activity. Participation and governance must also shift. www.cigionline.org/publications...
cigionline.org
Builder, Stabilizer, Steward: Why Space Needs More Canada
Canada can, and has a responsibility to, strengthen stability in space by acting simultaneously as builder (governing innovation), stabilizer (practising operational discipline) and steward (instituti...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Concerns that a nuclear weapon could be orbited have circulated for nearly 2 years. They resurfaced this week in comments by Canada’s 3 Canadian Space Division commander. The Outer Space Treaty prohibits placing nuclear weapons in orbit; a core pillar of space security. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
cbc.ca
Head of military's space division warns Russia is considering putting nuclear weapons in orbit | CBC News
The head of Canada's military space division says the country "should absolutely be" concerned about Russia's potential capabilities amid global fears the Kremlin is considering putting nuclear weapon...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
This resonates far beyond Greenland. For Canada, Arctic security and NORAD modernization depend on consent, cooperation, and trust. Treating allied territory as leverage undermines the foundation North American defence actually rests on.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
We rely on space every day, often without realizing it. But orbit is becoming more dangerous and Canada is being pushed to respond. In this Maclean’s article, I unpack what the shifting security landscape means for us and why an arms-race approach would backfire. macleans.ca/politics/can...
macleans.ca
Canada Should Stay Out of the Space Arms Race - Macleans.ca
We rely on our satellites for everything. More weapons won’t protect them.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Travelling from D.C. to New York for UN discussions on space security, the same point is coming up across industry, norms work, and diplomacy: governance is a capability. Reflections in my new Substack: 🔗https://onfragileorbits.substack.com/p/governance-is-a-capability-and-canada?r=2iqo6v
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Accusations have been loud at the UN’s #FirstCommittee discussion on #SpaceSecurity. But the quiet story is cooperation, as states maintain parallel progress on both legal and behavioural tracks. Voting is today. Catch up here: reachingcriticalwill.org/images/docum...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
Nukes, interceptors, and a peace coalition: outer space diplomacy is heating up at the UN. My summary of day one of the dedicated space security debate. Full version at the link. More to come this week. reachingcriticalwill.org/images/docum...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Proud to see @ploughsharesca.bsky.social intern Kianna Low-A-Che deliver the joint civil society statement on #SpaceSecurity at #UNGA #FirstCommittee A call to turn principles into practice to keep space peaceful for all. Big thanks to those who crafted. reachingcriticalwill.org/images/docum...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
At #UNGA #FirstCommittee, #Italy proposed a legally binding ban on destructive #ASAT tests, turning restraint into law and bridging legal + normative divides in #SpaceSecurity. Also calls for equity and inclusivity in governing space for all humankind. 🌍🚀 reachingcriticalwill.org/images/docum...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
A lot of my work on space security leans toward the gloomy side 😅 — so this conversation with Dr. Esther Brimmer for CIGI felt like a breath of fresh air. We talked about why space is a human domain and new governance opportunities (and challenges of course!). 🎧 www.cigionline.org/pp/space-is-...
cigionline.org
Space Is a Human Domain (discussing governance challenges with Esther Brimmer and Jessica West)
Cooperative use of space is essential for a sustainable future on Earth.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
🛰️ #SpaceSecurity is a big focus at the #UN #FirstCommittee. During Week 1: 💣 Nuclear and tech entanglement is reshaping deterrence. 🚀 Restraint in the space arms race is slipping—“nearing the point of no return.” More via Reaching Critical Will (p. 23) 👇 reachingcriticalwill.org/images/docum...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
They keep declaring the death of NGOs. But we’re not gone, we’re adapting. Civil society is still here, still shaping, still necessary. I dig into what this means for diplomacy in my latest piece for the Ploughshares Monitor: ploughshares.ca/absent-voice...
ploughshares.ca
Absent Voices, Fragile Diplomacy: Rethinking the ‘End of NGOs’ - Project Ploughshares
Geneva, July 2025 In the chilled UN meeting room, on the final day of the Open-Ended Working Group on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS), the chair invited civil society to speak. T...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
From Geneva to Brussels, the warnings are clear: unpredictability, arms racing, and risks that reach far beyond orbit. 📰 New on On Fragile Orbits: onfragileorbits.substack.com/p/were-not-i...
onfragileorbits.substack.com
We’re Not in the Peaceful Uses Era Anymore
The fog of peace has lifted — and what we see in orbit is distortion, arms racing, and risk.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
🚀 #GoldenDome: what’s it about? Tomorrow I’ll be online with Sam Wilson + International Student/Young Pugwash to talk through the nuts, bolts, dilemmas & dollars. Plenty of discussion time. Bring your questions and maybe a calculator. Register: britishpugwash.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
🚀 The countdown is on for #ArtemisII. Jeremy Hansen jokes about training for space death. Beneath the humour is truth: human spaceflight IS life & death. Astronauts are explorers and pioneers of human health, a part of the human story in space worth appreciating. 🔗 www.cbc.ca/news/science...
cbc.ca
What's it like training for a moon mission? Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen gives us the scoop | CBC News
If all goes as planned, early next year four astronauts will blast off on a mission that’s been a long time coming: a return to the moon. Canada's Jeremy Hansen takes us through what he's been doing t...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Space no longer feels like the era of “peaceful uses.” At UNIDIR’s #OS25 we tackled lunar risks, commercial pressures, youth voices, and unpredictability in orbit. I’m still holding onto optimism. Diplomacy can move us forward. 🎙️ @spacewatch.bsky.social spacewatch.global/2025/09/spac...
spacewatch.global
Space Café Radio - with Dr. Jessica West - SpaceWatch.GLOBAL
Join us as we sit down with Dr Jessica West, recently back from the Outer Space Security Conference in Geneva.
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North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network @naadsn-rdsnaa.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Excellent new piece out by @jessicawestphd.bsky.social on #spacesecurity
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Reposted by Dr. Jessica West
Liviu Horovitz @liviuhorovitz.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
The UN open-ended working group on the prevention of an arms race in outer space is continuing with a two-track structure focusing on legally binding obligations & voluntary measures, a compromise keeping all at the table, write @vsamsondc.bsky.social & @jessicawestphd.bsky.social for CIGI 9/10
cigionline.org
Space Security in Geneva: Between Constraint and Convergence
How UN diplomats working to prevent an arms race in outer space are inching forward through duplication, silence and small steps.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
Constraint is survival. Convergence is progress. That is the message in my new CIGI piece with @vsamsondc.bsky.social reflecting on the #PAROS #OEWG. Convergence needs is also a theme at #OS25 Day Two, touching on cislunar to strategic and commercial space. 🔗 www.cigionline.org/articles/spa...
cigionline.org
Space Security in Geneva: Between Constraint and Convergence
How UN diplomats working to prevent an arms race in outer space are inching forward through duplication, silence and small steps.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
“Department of War.” Names aren’t just labels; they set the logic of governance. Shifting from defense to war makes conflict the organizing structure, just as calling space a warfighting domain primes us to govern for conflict, not cooperation. www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Trump seeks to rebrand Department of Defense as Department of War
The US president has sought to refocus the department on "warfighting" and a "warrior ethos".
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
Listening to the UN #OEWG on #PAROS from Nova Scotia, I thought I heard: “there is no C in space.” They meant sea. But what’s really missing are the C’s: care, communication, consent, clarity, constraints. More in my latest On Fragile Orbit: onfragileorbits.substack.com/p/from-sea-t...
onfragileorbits.substack.com
From Sea to C: A Covenant of C's for Space
If orbit isn’t an ocean, what rules should guide it? The answer may lie in a new covenant of C's to navigate its perils.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
🚨 Canada has lifted restrictions on joining missile defence. Talk of participating in the U.S.-led Golden Dome is gaining momentum. What does this mean, and what should Canada do next? 🧵
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Still digesting last week’s #ParosOEWG session, but wanted to share the CIGI submission on emerging tech in space. AI, cyber, quantum tools are reshaping space. Principles alone aren’t enough: we need the “missing middle” of real-world practice. 🛰️ Link: meetings.unoda.org/meeting/7486...
meetings.unoda.org
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
🪐 1/ I didn’t post much when this first came out because I was caring for a loved one. But as I follow the #ParosOEWG discussions this week, the themes in Hidden Harms: Human (In)security in Outer Space feel more relevant than ever. ploughshares.ca/hidden-harms...
ploughshares.ca
Hidden Harms: Human (In)security in Outer Space: Consultation Visualization - Project Ploughshares
Overview This report is a visualization of the report Hidden Harms: Human (In)security in Outer Space: Consultation Report, which outlines key themes and ideas from a consultation on intersectional pe...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
⚠️ Day 3 of the #ParosOEWG I’ve been following along closely, but won’t be able to provide detailed coverage for the rest of the week due to other work (and some cherished family time in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦). 📰 A full overview and analysis will follow next week so stay tuned.
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CCPA — Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives @policyalternatives.ca · 22/07/2025
Why is Canada even entertaining the idea of joining Trump's "Golden Dome," a program that would cost billions of dollars and likely would not even work? Let's look at the facts: By @jessicawestphd.bsky.social from @ploughsharesca.bsky.social www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
jessicawestphd.bsky.social
Dr. Jessica West (@jessicawestphd.bsky.social)
Exploring peace, security, and space tech with a critical eye and a human touch. Research: Grey Zones of Space Governance https://bit.ly/4jaj0Zo ; Hidden Harms in Outer Space https://bit.ly/3DTnBPJ ...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
🚨 Substantive work begins at the UN meetings to prevent an arms race in outer space (#ParosOEWG) as the agenda and timetable are adopted. Themes from the first few statements: #WMD, #debris, #transparency, #communication, #equiy 🧵
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
#ParosOEWG Day 1 Meeting 2 Recap: Debate was dominated by procedural issues, particularly: ❓ Status/flexibility of the indicative timetable. ❓ Rules and limits on observer participation, including by EU No agreement was reached; Chair encouraged constructive reflection 🧵
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
This took quite a while to piece together in what I hope is a fairly clear and comprehensive overview of key issues related to Golden Dome. Very happy to have had help from Kat Barrett, via Canada's student summer jobs program - it makes a difference to small orgs like ours!
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Reposted by Dr. Jessica West
Kelsey Gallagher @kelgallagh.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
"Golden Dome Explained: Ambition, Reality, Risk" from @jessicawestphd.bsky.social and Kat Barrett @ploughsharesca.bsky.social ploughshares.ca/wp-content/u...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
🛰️ #ParosOEWG Session 2 (Day 1 Morning Recap) The UN working group on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space reconvened today in Geneva. Here’s what happened during the first morning meeting. 🧵
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
🛰️ The Open-Ended Working Group on PAROS (Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space) is meeting this week at the UN in Geneva. It's slow, complex, and vital. Here's a quick guide via Project Ploughshares to the what, why, & how of the discussion: 🔗 ploughshares.ca/a-short-guid...
ploughshares.ca
A Short Guide to the OEWG on PAROS in All Its Aspects - Project Ploughshares
PAROS OEWG The Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) in all its aspects is a new United Nations forum where all UN Member States, along with relevant...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Govts love "dual-use." But what happens when civilian access is lost? The Pentagon just cut public weather data from DMSP. The system still works—it’s just no longer shared. In a dual-use world, we have to think carefully about protecting civilian use. www.npr.org/2025/06/28/n...
npr.org
Defense Department will stop providing crucial satellite weather data
Hurricane forecasters rely on weather data collected and processed by Department of Defense satellites. That data will no longer be available as of Monday, June 30.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
⁉️ How do you enforce norms in space?⁉️ One answer: they make their way into law. The new European Space Act turns UN principles like debris mitigation, traffic coordination, and fair access into binding rules. Norms ripple. And they matter. 👉 commission.europa.eu/news-and-med...
commission.europa.eu
EU Space Act: enhancing market access and space safety
The EU Space Act is a legislative initiative by the European Commission that introduces a harmonised framework for space activities across the European Union.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
🛰️ Nukes in orbit? It’s back in the headlines. What’s real, what’s Dr. Strangelove, and what does it say about governing the fragile space above us? Kicking off On Fragile Orbits, Emma Gatti kindly hosted me on her Substack The Space Republic 👇 www.thespacerepublic.news/p/dr-strange...
thespacerepublic.news
Dr. Strangelove in Orbit: Lessons Still Unlearned
Why is one of the clearest red lines in Space being openly debated again?
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Priviledged to co-host a CIGI workshop last week tackling a BIG question: how do we govern space, AI, quantum & cyber together, when old rules can’t keep up? It’s not just about tech: it’s about trust, cooperation, and investing in our values. From principles to practice, Canada has a role. #G7 🍁
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
Glad to have had the chance to touch base with @kduggan.bsky.social on critical questions about Canada's participation in #GoldenDome The costs are many. www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/national/cos...
thecanadianpressnews.ca
Cost of Canada joining Trump's Golden Dome missile defence project still unknown
OTTAWA - If Prime Minister Mark Carney signs on to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" missile defence shield, he could be committing Canada to a project with a
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
Is Golden Dome the Icarus Project of U.S. defense—soaring ambition, shaky foundations, and a real risk of geopolitical burn? @wjhenn.bsky.social hits most of my concerns. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/o... More from me + @vsamsondc.bsky.social on the geopolitical part: spacenews.com/hubble-bubbl...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Reality of Trump’s Golden Dome
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
The U.S. is quietly loosening internal restrictions on offensive counterspace operations. Theresa Hitchens reports on new rules that give SPACECOM more authority to plan and wargame ASAT use and the risks of escalation. 🔗 breakingdefense.com/2025/05/excl... #SpaceSecurity #ASAT #Counterspace
breakingdefense.com
EXCLUSIVE: US loosens some rules for offensive counterspace ops, wargaming - Breaking Defense
Some decision-making authorities, previously closely held by the president or secretary of defense, have been delegated to US SPACECOM, according to sources, but military space leaders want more freed...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Another early train to Sick Kids. A reminder: the personal is political. My son was born with heart defects during my PhD. He’s OK, thanks to public investment in science, medicine, and health. We give back when we can through participation in research. I try to do work that gives back, too.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
The costs of a "Golden Dome" missile defense system are mindboggling. Not included in this $542-billion price tag are operational/replacement costs. Or threats beyond NK, 'near-peer' states. Via @thitch.bsky.social breakingdefense.com/2025/05/gold...
breakingdefense.com
Golden Dome's need for more SBIs may moot savings from lower launch costs: CBO - Breaking Defense
The smaller SBI price tag enabled by the drop in launch costs could be offset by the need for a much larger number of satellites to fulfil Trump's Golden Dome plan, the Congressional Budget Office stu...
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Looks like #LunarGateway is on the chopping block. If so, this would have huge implications for Canada's space program and strategy, which has banked almost $1-billion on #Canadarm3 for the Gateway project. spacenews.com/white-house-...
spacenews.com
White House budget proposal would phase out SLS and Orion, scale back ISS operations
The White House is proposing to phase out SLS and Orion spacecraft as well as reduce ISS operations in its fiscal year 2026 budget request.
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
⚠️ The new U.S. Space Warfighting Framework embraces a zero-sum vision of space superiority, putting even kinetic strike on the table. A wake-up call for the urgent need to modernize and advance #PAROS diplomacy. 📄 www.spacecom.mil/Portals/32/S... #SpaceSecurity
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Dr. Jessica West @jessicawestphd.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
I followed the first session of the #ParosOEWG last week. What’s meant to be an open process to prevent conflict in space felt anything but. Some reflections on the process, the challenges, and what’s at stake via Project Ploughshares. 🛰️ www.ploughshares.ca/reports/open... #SpaceSecurity
ploughshares.ca
Project Ploughshares
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