Preventing an arms race in outer space was the hot-button issue on the floor of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today, as Egypt, in one of two draft resolutions introduced in the Committee, sought to highlight the danger of an arms race in outer space, while representatives of countries with major space capabilities debated how best to address the issue.

The United States is headed for a showdown with Russia and China this week over competing international treaties, one banning the production of nuclear materials and the other trying to prevent an arms race in space.

Richard Garwin suggests a compromise space weapons treaty that would prohibit new anti-satellite weapon tests, but still allow for temporary and reversible attacks (ex. jamming, concealment, interference with the line of sight, etc) on non-strategic space assets.

Report from the opening of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament with statements from 17 countries, mainly focusing on the question of prevention of an arms race in outer space.

The authors argue that the Chinese anti-satellite weapons test is unlikely to spark an arms race between the U.S. and China but does illustrate the need for "rules of the road" in outer space.

The administration’s new national space policy, which does not rule out the deployment of weapons in space, is a counterpoint to international efforts to restrict or prohibit such weapons. Nader Elhefnawy examines whether that policy may actually be counterproductive to broader national interests.

The U.N. Conference on Disarmament held a structured debate on the issue of the prevention of an arms race in outer space, first addressing the importance and significance of prevention of an arms race in outer space, and then debating the scope and basic definitions of a future international legal agreement on prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space, and the threat or use of force against outer space objects.

The 191-member U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday unanimously approved a treaty outlawing the use of nuclear weapons by terrorists and their supporters.

Michael Krepon of the Stimson Center argues that a U.S. push for military dominance in space could backfire by damaging international efforts to curb WMD proliferation.

Russia and China declared that rapidly advancing technology made it increasingly urgent to start international talks on banning all weaponry from outer space to prevent an arms race.