In 'Spies in the Sky' Patrick Norris responds to the occasion of the
50th Anniversary of the dawn of the Space Age - the launch of
Sputnik 1 - with a review of the most important historical applications
of space science for the benefit of the human race during that half
century, focusing particularly on the prevention of nuclear war. The
author addresses the oft quoted conclusion that the Moon landings and
the 'race to the Moon' between the two superpowers were a side effect of
the Cold War, by describing what he believes was the more important
event - the use of satellites by military to prevent the Cold War
becoming a 'hot war'. In developing the story the author casts a
spotlight on a little-known aspect of the Space Age, namely the military
dimension. Today military satellites represent 25 percent of all
satellites in orbit, and they are just as important now in preventing
regional nuclear war as they were in preventing global Armageddon more
than 30 years ago.
Beginning with a discussion of Sputnik 1, and the impact of its launch,
both on the Soviets and on the West, the book continues to show the
social, economic and scientific benefits of satellites today in our
daily lives some 50 years later. The author introduces the concept of
the Cold War nuclear stand off and mutually assured destruction and
shows how spy satellites developed, and the problems of using them to
verify arms limitation treaties. He identifies the significance of the
ABM Treaty and of SALT and demonstrates how satellites were used to
underpin such agreements. He then discusses fringe nuclear powers, such
as the UK, France and China and the concept of nuclear
non-proliferation. He concludes by looking at the regional tensions of
today, including Israel and Arabic nations, India and Pakistan and the
threat posed by North Korea, and looks ahead to what the future holds.
