During human history, the exploration of space has been based on more than just scientific potential. People may like to believe that we are exploring the cosmos purely for academic purposes, but the truth is that space plays a huge role in both offensive and defensive military planning. In fact, much of the exploration that humans have already achieved would not have come to pass if it had not been for the military motives that underpin most space missions. Long before satellites orbited Earth for cell phone calls,global positioning systems, or picture taking, the military was interested in space. Commercial interest would not come until years later.

The U.S. Department of Defense uses satellite images to monitor foreign military installations and troop movements. This image shows the damage caused to the Baghdad Directorate of Military Intelligence Headquarters by a U...