Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military

By Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang, W. W. Norton & Co., New York, New York, 404 pages, plus end notes, acknowledgements and references. ISBN 978-0-393-06444-5, hardback, $30.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the best, if not THE best communicator of science to the general public alive today. In Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military, he and co-author/researcher/editor Avis Lang tackle a complex issue that at first glance appears self-evident (at least to the technically inclined): that astrophysicists and warfighters use much the same knowledge and equipment to pursue their respective vocations. While some of the historic and modern parallels between astronomy/astrophysics and military operations recounted in this book may already be known to some readers, the vast number of examples given, and the amount of detail on each, is extremely thorough, and unlikely to be known to many. It is probable that no other source collects all these topics and examples in one place. Further, while Dr. Tyson often writes for the general public (and this book contains no math to work through), I see it as more of a textbook for graduate students of military history, the history of science, or governmental policy. In this role, it should be a required addition to such courses throughout academia.

Examples Tyson and Lang give of synergism between astrophysics and military operations include, but are certainly not limited to:

1. Orbiting satellites of all kinds (obvious connections).
2. Adaptive optics and laser guide stars (removing atmospheric distortions for telescopes and laser weapons).
3. Radar (for radio astronomy and enemy systems detection).
4. X-ray, UV and infrared detectors (for space object spectral studies and military sensor requirements).
5. Space (Hubble) telescopes and imaging spy satellites.
6. Particle accelerators (for simulating astrophysical processes in the laboratory and particle beam weapons).
7. Atomic and nuclear processes in stars and nuclear weapons.
8. The VELA nuclear-burst detection satellites giving birth to the entire field of gamma-ray burst astrophysics.

As can be seen from the above list, a certain amount of technical knowledge is required to read Accessory to War, hence the presumption of its use in a graduate course, or by scientists and engineers. But historians will also find it useful. Tyson is an adept conveyor of history as well as science, and begins the book by describing several ancient military exploits that borrowed communications and surveillance techniques from astronomers (sometimes from astrologers). The book’s discussion of the early telescope shows how it not only aided humankind’s understanding of the heavens, but also was a key instrument in land and naval warfare and in commercial navigation, thus the exploration of the earth’s surface as well as its sky. Another intersection of military, astrophysics and commercial interests that the book covers in detail is the use of weather and global positioning satellites by all three communities. The fact that America no longer dominates the “high ground” of space receives a good deal of historical explanation from Tyson and Lang. Another subject that receives considerable attention in the second half of the book is the multiple bi-lateral and multi-lateral treaties and agreements concerning space and nuclear weapons that the U.S. has entered into since the start of the Space Age. These are loosely tied to astrophysics (verification instrumentation), more so to science in general, and explicitly to military development and operations. While of some interest to scientists and the lay reader, historians should find these sections to be of great value.

Tyson and Lang end their book with an attempt to separate fact from hype — and not just hype in the popular press. They quote numerous official Department of Defense papers and memoranda from the past 20 years that claim America needs to be ready to fight a kinetic, directed energy, electronic, and cyber war in space. But factually, 50 years after the Moon Landing, the only actual, deployed counter-space weapons the U.S. and other countries have are kinetic-kill ASAT missiles (which none dare use because of the fratricidal space debris they generate), and satellite communications jammers. They make a strong case that cooperation and negotiation, attributes of the international astrophysics community, offer more hope for the future of mankind in space than militarism. Space is simply too vast and free of national borders for it to be otherwise.

Ronald I. Miller
DoD/DIA/Missile & Space Intelligence Center (Retired)
rim@knology.net

These contributions have not been peer-refereed. They represent solely the view(s) of the author(s) and not necessarily the view of APS.