Book Review: Radosław Bielawski "Potęgometryczny wymiar militaryzacji przestrzeni kosmicznej" (2021)

Abstract

In the last decade, we have observed a growing significance of the space sector for national and global security. Among the most important determinants of this state of affairs is the rapid development of space technologies and their democratization. These two factors have constituted a new global security environment, which has become a framework for a new arms race in outer space. Nowadays, we witness growing dynamics among the states with space capabilities, which invest a lot of effort and resources to position themselves at the head of the peloton. The competition, however, is not limited only to the traditional superpowers like the U.S., Russia, Europe, or China, but, due to the democratization of space technologies, currently includes also India, Iran, and North Korea.

The new arms race has induced the need for an in-depth understanding and measurement of the parties involved. Radosław Bielawski's book entitled Potęgometryczny wymiar militaryzacji przestrzeni kosmicznej [Powermetric Dimension of Outer Space Militarization] is the first, in the Polish language, thorough analysis of weaponization and militarization of outer space with the use of the powermetrics models. Radosław Bielawski is an academic working at the Polish Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Poland, specializing in the militarization of outer space. He has published on, i.a., space threats to national security and space laser communication systems.