The Bush administration is planning to give domestic law enforcement agencies increased access to powerful spy satellite technology. But some lawmakers and civil liberties groups say that the program may invade the privacy of Americans.
In an effort to stem wartime casualties, the Pentagon is funding research into robots that can perform some of the troops' most dangerous tasks.
From communications to global positioning to reconnaissance, satellites play an increasingly important role in human affairs, both civilian and governmental. U.S. officials say protecting U.S. military and intelligence satellites from possible enemy attack is of critical importance. The issue of how to safeguard American satellites is part of a larger debate on the role of weapons in space.
Scientists meeting in Vienna under U.N. auspices have been working on guidelines for the design and operation of satellites, so that they will not create so much junk in outer space.