CSET Experts Urge an International Alliance to Protect Space Infrastructure

Kathleen Curlee and former U.S. Air Force pilot Brian Golden, researchers at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), argued in a recent Newsweek op-ed that space systems should be recognized and protected as critical infrastructure. They say satellites and orbital capabilities underpin essential services and that current defenses are fragmented across nations and sectors.

Curlee and Golden outline how civilian and military functions converge in orbit: communications, navigation, and data services relied on by governments, businesses and emergency services. They warn that the growing number of satellites and rising geopolitical competition increase the risk of disruption from both state and nonstate actors. Their piece calls for a durable, coordinated international framework to deter attacks, share resilience measures and establish norms for behavior in space.

Kathleen Curlee

CSET, based in Washington, contributes policy analysis aimed at informing federal and allied decision-makers. The authors frame an alliance as a practical policy tool that could align diplomatic, military, and commercial efforts — from threat monitoring to collective responses — while preserving civilian access to orbital services. They emphasize the need for mechanisms that span governments and industry rather than ad hoc bilateral arrangements.

The op-ed links to broader debates now active in Washington: how to integrate space security into defense planning, export controls, and international law. CSET’s intervention adds a DC-based research voice to discussions that could shape congressional hearings, agency strategies, and international consultations on space norms.