“Outer space is a frontier that inspires us and unites us more than anything else,” declared the US Assistant Secretary for Arms Control, Dr. Yleem Poblete. “And as we continue to push further into our own solar system, new businesses will be built to seize the endless possibilities before us.”
However, there are growing concerns about the possibility of intentional acts of aggression in space, warned Dr. Poblete. The United States has raised concerns for many years that Russia is seeking the development and placement of anti-satellite weapons. As recently as February 2017, a Russian Air Force Squadron Commander stated that Russia is developing new missiles with the intention of destroying satellites. Furthermore, we have read statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense that it is working on creating “a mobile attack anti-satellite system”.
Vladimir Putin (Russian President) has alluded to space weapons being more “acceptable in the political and military respect”. This behavior continues despite Russia stating many times that it places a high priority on the promotion of the draft “Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space” or PPWT.
The problem with such a treaty, said Dr. Poblete, is that it's difficult to determine an object’s true purpose simply by observing it on orbit. At this time, there are no means of distinguishing many objects' behaviors from that of a weapon, making outer space arms control measures like those in the proposed PPWT impractical.
In short, said Poblete, the proposed PPWT does not reduce the potential for conflict from extending into outer space. Plus, Russia may be engaging in the very behavior it claims to seek to prohibit.
“We must take concrete steps to strengthen the stability and sustainability of space,” declared Dr. Poblete, “The draft PPWT is not the right approach to accomplishing that. It is a questionable document, proposed by a country [Russia] that has routinely violated its international commitments.”
【小题1】What does America suspect Russia is doing?| A．Launching satellites for spying. | B．Trading space weapons illegally. |
| C．Making profits from exploring space. | D．Causing threat to space stability. |
| A．They are hard to be identified. | B．They are not regulated by common rules. |
| C．There are too many to be managed. | D．There is disagreement between nations. |
| A．It is not specific enough. | B．It will worsen international relationships. |
| C．Russia itself fails to observe it. | D．We must work together to promote it. |
| A．Where the key to space safety lies. | B．What alarms the US as to space safety. |
| C．Why space conflicts are difficult to avoid. | D．Who is to blame for the chaos in outer space. |
