PREFACE -- FIGURES -- TABLES -- SUMMARY -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- ABBREVIATIONS -- Chapter One INTRODUCTION -- PURPOSE -- SCOPE -- ORGANIZATION -- Chapter Two BACKGROUND -- HISTORY -- Early Rocketry -- Satellite Feasibility Studies -- Dawn of the Space Age -- Bombardment Satellites -- Defenses -- ABM Treaty -- The Strategic Defense Initiative -- POST-COLD WAR -- Current U.S. Policy and Plans -- LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS -- Space Treaties -- Arms Control Treaties -- Other Treaties -- Chapter Three KINDS AND CAPABILITIES OF SPACE WEAPONS -- TYPES OF SPACE WEAPONS -- DIRECTED-ENERGY WEAPONS -- General Characteristics -- Targets -- Medium -- Weapon -- Basing -- Example: Laser for Missile Targets -- MASS-TO-TARGET WEAPONS -- General Characteristics -- Kinetic-Energy Weapons Above the Atmosphere -- Kinetic-Energy Weapons Against Terrestrial Targets -- Conventional Weapons Against Terrestrial Targets -- Chapter Four EMPLOYMENT -- EMPLOYMENT -- Functions and Tasks -- Component and Sequence -- COMMAND -- What Is Commanded -- How They Are Commanded -- Who Commands Them -- Chapter Five HOW MIGHT THE UNITED STATES ACQUIRE SPACE WEAPONS? -- HOW MIGHT THE UNITED STATES DECIDE? -- Deliberate Decisions to Acquire -- Incidental Decisions to Acquire -- ASSUMING A DECISION TO ACQUIRE, HOW MIGHT TRANSITION OCCUR? -- Incremental Decision -- Monolithic Decision -- Scope, Sequence, and Visibility of Implementation -- Consequences -- Chapter Six HOW MIGHT OTHERS ACQUIRE SPACE WEAPONS? -- PEER COMPETITOR -- Definition -- Decision -- Transition -- FRIEND OR ALLY -- Definition -- Capability -- Decision -- Transition -- NEITHER ALLY NOR ADVERSARY -- Definition -- Capability -- Decision -- Transition -- NONPEER ADVERSARY -- NONSTATE COALITION -- SUMMARY -- Chapter Seven CONCLUSION -- ADVANTAGES -- Access and Reach -- Responsiveness -- Distance -- Difficulty of Defending Against Them.

LIMITATIONS -- Static Defense -- Stable, Observable, Predictable Orbits -- Logistic Expense -- Large Numbers -- Legal Consequences -- USES AND IMPLICATIONS -- Appendix A SPACE-BASED DIRECTED-ENERGY WEAPONS -- Appendix B KINETIC-ENERGY SPACE WEAPONS -- Appendix C NATURAL METEOROIDS AS WEAPONS -- Appendix D BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE COUNTERMEASURES -- BIBLIOGRAPHY.