Evaluating the Military Potential of a Developing Nation's Space Program: A Case Study of Brazil

Abstract

This thesis examines how and why a developing nation may use its civilian space program to acquire ballistic missiles. Using a single case study of Brazil, this analysis looks for universal patterns in space program development and for how Third World nations use their civilian space programs for military purposes. This thesis analyzes the relationship between space and missile development, the Missile Technology Control Regime, reasons for building missiles (political, economic, national security, geopolitical, need for technology), Brazilian civil-military relations, and various technologies and space systems. It identifies the critical technologies required for a successful space program; identifies the critical industries that are missing in Brazil and the technologies that it must import; highlights indicators of military intentions of a civilian space program; and evaluates how the generalizations developed throughout the thesis may be applied to other nations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA245978

Entities

People

  • Michael J. Collins

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Apogees
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Composite Materials
  • Fuel Systems
  • Geography
  • Geosynchronous Orbits
  • Governments
  • Inertial Navigation
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Testing
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Rocket Engines
  • Rockets
  • Space Systems
  • Spacecraft

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Missile Defense Systems.
  • Organizational Process Management (OPM).

Technology Areas

  • Space