Final frontier arrives

Space lasers, hypersonic missiles, and moon bases are hurdling out of the realms of science fiction and entrenching themselves as live prospects in a global battle for supremacy. 

While the 21st century hasn’t had a Cold War-style space race develop, there is a growing sense of urgency that, in a world connected by technology racing around the stratosphere, having a firmer grip on what is happening in the cosmos is important for national security.