Arthur C. Clarke’s Vision for Peace in Outer Space - Part II:

‘No’ to Star Wars

Prof. G.T. Francis de Silva Former Vice Chancellor, University of Moratuwa

In 1975, Arthur was invited to address the US House of Representative Committee on Space Science and Applications, chaired by Don Fuqua. His and other hearings were later published as three volumes, Future Space Programmes 1975. Quoting from a futuristic character in one of his novels he implied that war fronts will move to the space.

However, the person from future in the story said “The age of conflict between nations is over.” but he cautioned that challenges have to be met. He proposed that emphasis should be placed on educational satellites and not simply communication satellites. Some of the other space innovations he described were world weather watch, Landsats to gather geographical information, Space Laboratories and Telescopes, not necessarily manned, Space Hospitals. In simple terms what Arthur wished for were all peaceful purposes from activities in space.

Americans appear to be the first to take military activities to space as in 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower is supposed to have secretly approved a highly classified military spy satellite, code named Corona.

In March 1983, US President Ronald Reagan proposed setting up a project termed Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) to establish an earth and space based anti missile system to counter any possible intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) attacks. Next day itself Senator Edward Kennedy called it an undesirable ‘Star wars’ project that will destabilize peace on earth.

Sri Lankan delegation

This name taken from George Lucas’ famous film of 1977 became synonymous with this project. Many scientists and statesmen opposed the Star Wars Project as it will escalate the arms race into outer space, waste resources for an uncertain outcome and militaries the hitherto peaceful frontier of space.

In August 1982, Arthur was a Sri Lanka delegate, to the second UN Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, held in Vienna. His speech ‘Space Flight - Imagination and reality’, intentionally avoided any politically sensitive issues, but before leaving the podium he did quote a well known phrase from his book Prelude to space ‘We will take no frontiers into space.’

Sir Arthur C. Clarke	Ronald Reagan

Later he had lunch with US, Soviet and Chinese ambassadors. Back in Sri Lanka he was delighted to learn that his speech has been placed in the US Congress by Congressman George Brown.

His biographer Neil McAleer states that Arthur was against Star wars concept.

During this period Arthur attended the UN Conference on Disarmament (CD) Geneva which was then the exclusive club of forty UN member states who negotiated disarmament treaties for the world. Sri Lanka had the privilege of being one of the members and Arthur joined the Sri Lanka delegation to that Conference which is still known as the sole multilateral negotiating body of the UN on disarmament. Arthurs presentation to the CD on behalf of the Sri Lankan delegation proved to be a catalyst for the UN decision to inscribe an item on the Agenda of the CD entitled ‘Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space’, As a visionary on space affairs, Arthurs warning that if the mankind does not take preventive action against weaponising space, they will be condemned to make unsuccessful efforts later to prevent the spread of weapons in space. Like in the case of nuclear weapons on earth, it will be too little too late then, he cautioned.

In July 1986, Arthur was interviewed for Playboy magazine which had over four million readers about space travel, religion, sex, etc; at which he was asked for views on Strategic Space initiative (SDI), better known as the Star Wars Project.

His answer, ‘Reagan’s Star Wars may turn out to be a stroke of political genius, even if motivations and political conclusions are quite wrong.’

Joint space ventures

November that year Arthur addressed the Nehru Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on ‘Space Wars and Space Peace.’ His address gave an over-view of some of the SDI scenarios and discussed what he believed to be the inherent problems of such systems, including their destabilizing influence. The last half of his lecture emphasized the peaceful uses of space such as reconnaissance satellites that had no offensive capability and helped to build international trust. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi arranged a special flight for Arthur to visit Agra and the Taj Mahal.

In September 1984, Arthur made a presentation ‘A Martian Odyssey’ to US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in Chairman Spark Matsunaga’s hometown in Hawaii. He referred to his speech to UN Committee on Disarmament, the one placed in the US Congress by George Brown. In this, he stressed on peaceful uses of space and urged super powers to work together in space affairs and send a manned space craft to planet Mars.

Later Arthur received a letter from Chairman Matsunaga saying that President Reagan signed into law a joint Senate resolution relating to co-operative East-West ventures in space and to say that the President pledged to seek a new US-Soviet agreement for space biology, rescue, space science and joint space ventures.

It is encouraging to note that several space projects for peace are now being carried out in space. Outstanding examples are the International Space Station (ISS) and Space Telescopes sustained for years with international cooperation. For instance, ISS had been on near earth orbit for more than a year with US, Russian and Japanese scientists working on medical, materials and even plant growth projects connected mostly with micro gravity.

The Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990 is still performing observation on distant planetary systems and galaxies. Data from these projects are open to all nations including Russia, China, India, etc,. Space technology has become highly business oriented leading to possible conflicts among the space capable powers. It is stated that global space industry is worth $ 400 billion annually. The human history is replete with instances where tribal groups and nations clashed over resources.

In 2012 February, Lt. Gen. Ronald R Burgess, Director of US Defense Intelligence Agency testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee had commented that China is developing capabilities to use laser weapons against American satellites in space.

Human civilization

A draft treaty against placing weapons in outer space was proposed by China and Russia. This was rejected by the US at that time saying it was too selective and unenforceable. It is nonetheless noted that the US had formulated a less comprehensive space arms control initiative which is built upon the 2008 EU draft on conduct of states in outer space (the so called Rules of the Road initiative). However in the absence of any international treaty outlawing militarization of near earth orbit and any negotiated and verifiable international legal regime to ensure space security, the man’s last frontier, outerspace remain a potential arena for rivalry and arms competition.

Arthur C Clarke will be remembered not only for his visionary thinking on the potential the space exploration holds for the advancement of human civilization, but also for his clear warnings against this primordial human weakness of taking his weapons tool kit to all the frontiers he conquers with such breathtaking courage and ingenuity. The question is have we heard Arthur and do we see the clear and present dangers he saw?

(I thankfully acknowledge the contributions to this article made by one of my former students, ambassador HMGS Palihakkara who was Sri Lanka’s representative at the CD, Geneva, where Arthur C. Clarke made his submissions)

Concluded