POL106 Wk 5: Space, Surveillance, and Democracy

What is the military-industrial complex and what is its scope? Give an example

It is the close relationship between a country’s military, the defense industry, and government officials and its scope extends to the internet and space industry

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and other US government agencies funded the research that led to the creation of Google

Who gave a warning about the military-industrial complex and in what year? What impact did it have? Which source references this?

In 1961, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of the military-industrial complex because it raises concerns as to who will engage oversight when there are close ties between the government and the defense industry. Additionally, who will make sure that efforts by the “scientific-technological elite’ will not contribute (further) to the surveillance state and erosion of civil liberties and personal privacy (Roger D. Launius, 2014)

Why does the outer space matter in relation to modern life?

It enables GPS, financial transactions, internet connectivity, and climate monitoring just to name a few

What is the space-cyber nexus?

AI, data, extraction, and triangulating across multiple types of data —> is symbiotic of how cyberspace relies on outer space and how one domain cannot function without the other because their operations are inextricably linked

What have satellites been used for? Give an example. Which source references this?

Satellites have been used for humanitarian goals such as tracking the amount of refugees within a camp but also to criminalize migration and fortify borders. In the EU, its borders are increasingly being watched and monitored by aerial drones that use satellite imaging and infrared cameras (Gabrielle Lim, Aidan Kerr, Marlene Terstiege, and Marc Calabretta, 2025)

How do satellite internet service providers influence modern politics? Give an example and explain the effects of this.

Satellite internet service providers influence modern politics by playing a key role in communication and the exchange of information. For example, in 2022, Elon Musk refused a Ukrainian request to enable use of Starlink, developed by SpaceX, near Crimea. The fact that a single individual has the power to approve or deny access to a vital communications system without oversight is cause for concern because it opens the door to an abuse of human rights such as the right to privacy and free expression.