Mind Space: Cognition in Space Operations
Abstract
To conduct deterrence operations, or manage escalation, requires anticipating how others will decide to respond to our actions. Anticipating your adversary is imperative for offense or defense. Thus, it is crucial to understand audiences decision-making. But how can you put yourself in the others shoes in space operations? Firstly, operations such as deterrence have a crucial cognitive dimensionacknowledged in U.S., Chinese and Russian thinkingand thus here I apply the latest neuroscience and cognitive work to understand how humans really make decisions. Second, I identify key features of space operations that require distinctive emphases compared to other domains, and I examine their cognitive foundations to describes implications for space policy. I apply this understanding of cognitive foundations of space operations to three areas: Deterrence and escalation management are examined in Part I. See table below. Grey Zone conflict is examined in Part II. The current space epoch is the Grey Zone-Entangled Space Age, and space is an ideal forum for Grey Zone activities in which the U.S. must have the tools to compete. West Pacific security is examined in Part III with a focus on the PRC and Near-term Sino-U.S. scenarios.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1066718
Entities
People
- Nicholas D. Wright
Organizations
- University of Birmingham