Moving beyond the sanctuary paradigm: Canada must face up to the reality of a contested and dangerous space environment
| Published date | 01 March 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/00207020231178394 |
| Author | Patrick Perron |
| Date | 01 March 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Scholarly Essays |
Moving beyond the sanctuary
paradigm: Canada must face
up to the reality of a
contested and dangerous
space environment
Patrick Perron
Canadian Forces College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Abstract
This article outlines historical shifts in US and Canadian space policies using the sanc-
tuary-contested policy framework. It highlights how sanctuary policies were born out
of necessity rather than the pursuit of a peaceful global commons; they were never
intended to, and did not, prevent the militarization and weaponization of space.
The paper then describes challenges to global space governance and argues that diplo-
macy will not prevent conflicts in space. After introducing elements of deterrence
theory, this paper concludes that Canada should move beyond the sanctuary ideology,
make space a national whole-of-government issue, and align its space policy and strat-
egy with allies and partners, credibly communicating Canada’s resolve to protect and
defend space assets. It further recommends that Canada develop niche capabilities
that contribute to more effective national and collective deterrence and defence in
space. Those capabilities should build upon existing niche strengths, not create
space debris, and leverage industrial innovation in space.
Keywords
Space security, Canadian space strategy, weaponization of outer space, deterrence,
Canadian space policy, global space governance
Corresponding author:
Patrick Perron, Canadian Forces College, 215 Yonge Blvd, North York, Toronto, Ontario, M5M 3H9,
Canada.
Email: perronpatrick3@gmail.com
Scholarly Essay
International Journal
2023, Vol. 78(1-2) 147–171
© The Author(s) 2023
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/00207020231178394
journals.sagepub.com/home/ijx
In November 2021, Russia irresponsibly fired a ground-based missile that destroyed
one of its satellites in orbit close to the International Space Station (ISS). This
destructive test, which generated over fifteen hundred tractable debris with the
potential to create hundreds of thousands of smaller pieces, forced astronauts and
cosmonauts on board the ISS to shelter in crewed spacecrafts.
1
While it is impos-
sible to know what motivated Russia to endanger the space station, this reckless
anti-satellite test demonstrates Russia’s capability to hold Western space assets at
risk.
2
Space is rapidly changing in the current era of accelerated technological develop-
ment and great power competition. Space is more accessible by commercial, non-state,
and state actors.
3
State actors realize the ubiquitous role of space in countries’daily
functioning and prosperity, and as a critical enabler of modern military operations.
Potential adversaries increasingly develop counter-space weapons designed to
degrade, disrupt, and destroy American and other allied satellites.
Canada has a long history of promoting peaceful uses of space and opposing space
weaponization. There is insufficient Canadian policy and strategy for dealing with an
increasingly congested, competitive, contested, and dangerous space environment.
While the current Canadian space strategy acknowledges, for the first time in recent
decades, the contested nature of space, it remains piecemeal and insufficiently
focused on economic growth.
4
Canada urgently needs to align its national space
1. Antony J. Blinken, “Russia conducts destructive anti-satellite missile test,”US Department of State, press
statement, 15 November 2021, https://www.state.gov/russia-conducts-destructive-anti-satellite-missile-
test/ (accessed 7 February 2022).
2. Various theories have been proposed to explain Russian motivations. Some believe that this destructive
event was not a test. Rather, considering internal Russian issues with their civil space program and
commercial space sector falling behind compared with the US and China, Russia could have made a
certain orbital layer unusable to deny its competitors from using, thereby retaining some control. It is also
possible that Russia simply wanted to showcase its military space program by demonstratingits capability
and willingness to conduct military operations in space. For example, see Jon Kelvey, “This could be why
Russia blew up its own satellite,”Inverse, 27 November 2021, https://www.inverse.com/science/why-did-
russia-blow-up-its-own-satellite (accessed 25 April 2023); Eric Berger, “Russia acknowledges anti-
satellite test, but says it’s no big deal,”Ars Technica, 16 November 2021, https://arstechnica.com/science/
2021/11/russia-acknowledges-anti-satellite-test-but-says-its-no-big-deal/ (accessed 25 April 2023);
Deganit Paikowsky, “Why Russia tested its anti-satellite weapon,”Foreign Policy, 26 December 2021,
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/26/putin-russia-tested-space-asat-satellite-weapon/ (accessed 25 April
2023).
3. “Challenges to security in space,”US Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington DC, 2019, 7. There are
now more than one hundred countries involved in space. As of 2018, more than fifty countries and
multinational organizations owned active satellites in orbit, nine of which had organic launch capability.
4. “Exploration, imagination, innovation: A new space strategy for Canada,”Canadian Space Agency,
St-Hubert, Quebec, 2019, 9, 14. The Canadian Space Agency designated the “space sector as a national
strategic asset that is essential for Canada’s sovereignty, security, and economic growth.”The strategy
mentions that emerging threats exist and that space services must remain reliable and secure. It does not
provide any information on the nature of threats in space and on how to deal with them. Rather, it refers to
Canada’s defence policy, “Strong, Secure, Engaged,”which lays out funding for space situational
awareness, Earth observation, and satellite communication projects.
148 International Journal 78(1-2)
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