This book, first published in 1982, analyses the prospects of the Cold War superpowers arms race spilling into outer space. A SIPRI-organized symposium in 1981 discussed the consequences of the militarization of outer space, as well as further arms control and disarmament measures.

Part 1. Military Space Technology and its Implications B. Jasani 1. Introduction 2. Some Basic Orbital Concepts 3. Space Transportation Vehicles 4. Military Activities in Outer Space 5. Contribution of Arms Technology to the Arms Race 6. Satellites for Crisis and Arms Control Monitoring Part 2. Space Technology, Crisis Monitoring and Arms Control 7. Reconnaissance Satellites B.G. Blair 8. Identification of Military Components within the Soviet Space Programme G.E. Perry 9. Navigation Satellite Systems: Their Characteristics, Potential and Military Applications K.D. McDonald 10. System Aspects in Military Satellite Communications E. Biglieri 11. Image Analysis and Sensor Technology for Satellite Monitoring T. Sakata and H. Shimoda 12. Information Extraction from Images T. Orhaug and G. Forssell 13. The Prospects for Beam Weapons A.M. Din 14. Orbital BMD and the Space Patrol P.J. Nahin 15. Some Remarks on US and Soviet Strategies Concerning Manned Activities in Outer Space H. Kautzleben 16. Recent Advances in the Use of Space for Military Purposes and on Second Generation Nuclear Weapons M. Felden 17. Use of Satellites in Crisis Monitoring K. Santhanam 18. Verification Using Satellites, Feasability of an International or Multinational Agency M. Abdel-Hady and A. Sadek 19. What Additional Arms Control Measures Related to Outer Space Could Be Proposed? D. Goedhuis 20. Anti-Satellite Weapons: the Prospects for Arms Control D.L. Hafner 21. Banning all Weapons in Outer Space O.V. Bogdanov