"In June, President Donald Trump announced the formation of the US's 'Space Force' — a new arm of the US military," Hannah Middleton told the audience at a film night in Sydney on October 12. "Trump plans a Space Force which would ensure US 'control and domination' of space on behalf of corporate interests"
The evening of short films exposing Trump's Space Force plan was presented by the Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition (AABCC) and the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN).
Introducing the films, Middleton said: "We are holding this film showing during Keep Space for Peace Week, which runs from October 6 to 13. This is a global initiative with events all round the world.
"This rush to militarise the heavens should fill us all with horror. It's an insane idea.
"There will be an 'arms race in space' and the heavens could become a war zone. It will be nuclear. It's the ultimate nightmare."
Middleton explained, "The cost may be $500 billion or more in the coming decade, but the real cost will depend on how greedy the aerospace companies are...
"So much of space is now private business, with Elon Musk and [Jeff] Bezos and all kinds of companies talking about making super-profits out there.”
Middleton also pointed to an Australian connection: "The government has announced a decision to build a space agency and allocated $41 million over a four-year period. Space is said to be worth $4 billion to the Australian economy, expected to rise to $12 billion over the next 10 years.
"The new agency is open about commercial possibilities, but silent about any military links."
United States democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders has stated: “Maybe, just maybe, we should make sure our people are not dying because they lack health insurance before we start spending billions to militarise outer space."
The Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) is a United Nations resolution that reaffirms the basic legal framework of international space law, while also calling for a ban on the weaponisation of space as a way to prevent an arms race.
Every year the UN General Assembly votes nearly unanimously to approve the PAROS resolution. The United States is the only country to vote against the resolution, with Israel abstaining.
[Visit the Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition website for more information.]