Date of Graduation

Spring 2019

Degree

Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies

Department

Defense and Strategic Studies

Committee Chair

John Rose

Abstract

This thesis was written to provide the reader with a comprehensive assessment about the realities of the current organizational and management structure of United States national security policy as it relates to the conduct of military operations in space. To create an encompassing argument, this thesis considers the current organizational structure of United States space policy while acknowledging that space has, in fact, become a warfighting domain. A reorganization of this magnitude has the potential to generate a succinct chain of command for military space operations while condensing the space acquisitions process and ultimately providing military space operations with the attention and resources needed to keep America and its allies safe. However, this thesis examines if reconfiguring the current organizational and management structure of United States national security space components does, in fact, have the power to accomplish such objectives. This thesis relies heavily upon the testimonies and documentation derived from both the Department of Defense, as well as the United States Congress. In addition, it is acknowledged that U.S. policymakers have driven this issue into becoming one that is largely bureaucratic and inherently politicized. This thesis ultimately concludes that some degree of reconfiguration to the current organizational and management structure of United States policy as it relates to military operations in space has the potential to positively affect the national security space establishment.

Keywords

space policy, organizational and management structure, deterrence, national security, space components, strategy

Subject Categories

Defense and Security Studies

Copyright

© Joseph M. Zeman

Open Access

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