STUART: WE'RE OFF THE LOW OF THE
DAY BUT NOT BY MUCH.
WE WERE DOWN 400.
>>> PRESIDENT TRUMP WANTS TO
ESTABLISH A SIXTH BRANCH OF THE
MILITARY, A SPACE FORCE.
ROLL TAPE.
>> OUR DESTINY BEYOND THE EARTH
IS NOT ONLY A MATTER OF NATIONAL
IDENTITY, BUT A MATTER OF
NATIONAL SECURITY.
SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR MILITARY,
SO IMPORTANT AND PEOPLE DON'T
TALK ABOUT IT.
WHEN IT COMES TO DEFENDING
AMERICA IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO
MERELY HAVE AN AMERICAN PRESENCE
IN SPACE.
WE MUST HAVE AMERICAN DOMINANCE
IN SPACE.
STUART: JOINING US NOW, THE
PERHAPS BEST KNOWN PHYSICS
PROFESSOR IN ALL THE LAND,
MICHIO KAKU.
HE IS OUR GUEST THIS MORNING.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
>> GLAD TO BE ON.
STUART: THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY PROS
AND CONS OF A SPACE FORCE.
WHY DON'T WE BREAK IT DOWN,
START WITH THE PROS?
>> THE SPACE FORCE IDEA CUTS
BOTH WAYS.
LET'S NOT BE NAIVE, THE CHINESE,
RUSSIANS, THEY HAVE SECRET SPACE
WAR PLANS.
THE CHINESE 10 YEARS AGO BLEW UP
ONE OF THEIR OWN SATELLITES TO
PROVE THAT THEY HAVE KILLER
SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY.
IN MARCH, VLADMIR PUTIN
ANNOUNCED A NEW WEAPON, THE
HYPERSONIC DRIVE WEAPON WHICH WE
DON'T HAVE, BUT THEY BOASTED
THAT THEY HAVE.
STUART: SO YOU'RE SAYING WE HAVE
TO CATCH UP?
>> SO ON THE PRO SIDE WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT A NEW PAX
AAMERICANA.
LET'S MAKE AMERICA GREAT IN
OUTER SPACE.
WE WOULD BE THE COP ON THE BLOCK
TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO PETTY
DISPUTES.
THAT MAKING SURE THAT COMMERCE
AND TECHNOLOGY FLOWS THROUGHOUT
OUTER SPACE.
STUART: IS THAT HOW THE
PRESIDENT SEES IT, WE ARE THE
GOOD COP IN SPACE?
>> AS FAR AS PRESIDENT TRUMP, WE
ARE THE GOOD GUYS.
WE'RE THE JOHN WAYNE.
WE SET THE RULES TO MAKE SURE
THAT CRIMINALS AND THIEVES AND
TERRORISTS DON'T GET ACCESS TO
OUTER SPACE.
THE SPACE LANES ARE KEPT OPEN
FOR COMMERCE.
STUART: OKAY.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT
COST BUT LET'S NOT.
THE PROS ARE THERE, YOU PUT THEM
OUT THERE.
HOW ABOUT THE CONS, THE REASONS
NOT TO DO THIS.
>> EVEN A SMALL STATE LIKE
NORTH KOREA, IN PRINCIPLE COULD
DETONATE A HYDROGEN BOMB OVER
KANSAS AND WIPE OUT OUR
SATELLITES.
WE'RE MOST VULNERABLE TO
SATELLITE WARFARE.
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE WOULD NOT
JUST KNOCK OUT SATELLITES BUT
OUR POWER SYSTEMS.
WE WOULD BE THROWN BACK BY
MAGNETIC PULSE, MAYBE 200 YEARS
IN THE PAST.
STUART: FORM A SPACE FORCE TO
STOP THAT KIND OF THING
HAPPENING?
>> THE ENEMY COULD FIELD ONE.
THERE COULD BE A SPACE RACE, A
SPACE RACE TO PERFECT THE FIRST
EMECHANIC TROH MAGNETIC PULSE
WEAPON.
LIKE THE GREAT EQUALIZER, LIKE
THE COLT 45.
ONE ATOMIC BOMB COULD PARALYZE A
SPACE NATION BECAUSE WE HAVE NO
DEFENSES AGAINST THE
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE.
STUART: THAT IS THE OPPOSING
ARGUMENT, ALL ABOUT THE
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE.
DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A POWERFUL
ARGUMENT TO ME?
>> DOES MEAN SMALL NATIONS HAVE
A GREAT EQUALIZER.
THEY CAN CAUSE CHAOS IN OUTER
SPACE.
WE'RE THE MOST VULNERABLE TO
SPACE WAR.
NOT THE CHINESE, THE MOST
RUSSIANS.
WE HAVE THE MOST GPS SYSTEMS,
TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INTERNET.
COMMERCE TAKES PLACE IN OUTER
SPACE.
STUART: SMALL NUCLEAR WEAPON,
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE KNOCKS OUT
OUR GPS AND OUR PHONES, THAT
AFFECTS US MORE THAN OTHER
COUNTRIES?
>> RIGHT IT IS LIKE THROWING
SAND IN THE ENEMY'S EYES.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALL THE
FIREPOWER AND GUN SLINGERS, YOU
ARE BLIND.
YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING.
EVEN A SMALL NATION CAN DO THAT.
STUART: LONGER TERM, IT IS NOT
JUST ABOUT THE IMMEDIATE EARTH'S
ATMOSPHERE, IT IS ABOUT A SPACE
FORCE, LITERALLY A SPACE FORCE
THAT LAUNCHES FORTH INTO THE
GREAT UNKNOWN AND CONTROLS OTHER
PLANET AS WELL.
AM I DREAMING HERE?
>> LET'S TAKE A LOOK WHAT IS
HAPPENING ON THE GROUND.
THE CHINESE ANNOUNCED THEY TOO
WANT TO PUT THEIR FLAG ON THE
MOON.
SO WE COULD HAVE A TRAFFIC JAM
AROUND THE MOON WITH DIFFERENT
NATIONS COMPETING FOR TERRITORY.
WE MAY NEED A NEW OUTER SPACE
TREATY OF 1967.
THAT TREATY BANNED NUCLEAR
WEAPONS IN OUTER SPACE BUT HAD A
LOOPHOLE.
AND THAT LOOPHOLE WAS,
NON-NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE ALLOWED
IN OUTER SPACE.
THAT IS FOR EXAMPLE, A BARREL OF
NAILS, DETONATED IN OUTER SPACE
COULD WIPE OUT HUNDREDS OF
COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES.
EVEN A BARREL OF NAILS CAN
CREATE ENOUGH SHRAPNEL TO
PARALYZE A COMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEMS WHICH ARE NOT
REINFORCED.
STUART: MAKE THE JUDGMENT, YOU
WOULD FORM A SPACE FORCE?
>> I WOULD LOOK AT THE OUTER
SPACE TREATY OF 1967, CLOSE THE
LOOPHOLES.
STUART: OKAY.
>> IT IS CHEAPER, CHEAPER THAN
CREATING A WHOLE NEW BUREAUCRACY
AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT THE
TABLE TO SEE WHAT THE CHINESE
ARE DOING AND WHAT THE RUSSIANS
ARE DOING.
STUART: MICHIO KAKU, DON'T BE
SUCH A STRANGER.