Topic: Outer Space Treaty

The legal framework for the Space Force is governed by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits weapons of mass destruction in orbit but does not explicitly ban conventional weapons. This allows for the potential deployment of kinetic bombardment systems or "machine guns in space." Defense Secretary James Mattis had previously expressed skepticism about the new bureaucracy, suggesting internal military resistance to the reorganization.

Representative Trent Franks proposed an amendment to establish a space-based missile defense layer to counter Russian and Chinese advancements. The hosts debate the legality of such weapons under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits weapons of mass destruction in orbit.

NASA's announcement of liquid water on Mars is analyzed as a promotional tie-in for the Matt Damon film "The Martian." The hosts discuss the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which NASA cites as a reason why the Mars rover cannot get close to the water for fear of contamination. They express skepticism about the timing and suggest it is part of a broader effort to prepare the public for "alien" disclosures.

NASA's LCROSS mission, which involved crashing a kinetic weapon into the moon to search for water, is criticized as a "moon bombing." The hosts discuss the lack of visible results from the impact and suggest the mission may violate the 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty. They link the timing of this event to the Nobel Peace Prize announcement as part of a dual-distraction strategy.