Is Russia building a weapon that could possibly destroy satellites? The US has confirmed that Vladimir Putin’s country is on the path of making the space-based weapon that is a “serious threat to national security” amidst the two-year Russia-Ukraine war.
This development has given rise to a serious question whether space will be the future battlefield for militaries around the world.
A commission on the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States and a former defence and intelligence official during the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations draws attention towards how countries are looking at “securing” space, and the “skies are free and open for commercial activity”.
Matthew Kroenig had told the BBC that humans have been exploring space for quite some time now for travelling and doing business. “Now, we are entering a phase where we’re seeing the commercialization of space, and we are just at the beginning”.
What about Space Weapons in the Past?
According to the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which the US, China and Russia have signed, countries are forbidden from sending into the orbit “any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction”.
Before the treaty, the US carried out a series of high-altitude nuclear tests, the biggest of which was the Starfish Prime in July 1962, which triggered electromagnetic pulse that was much larger than expected, and caused the formation of radiation belts around the Earth.
In 1978, a Soviet nuclear-powered satellite, Kosmos 954, malfunctioned and crashed into northern Canada, spreading radioactive debris across hundreds of miles.
The Secure World Foundation think tank reported last year in a report on Global Counterspace Capabilities that Russia has been working on developing anti-satellite technology over the past 14 years.
What are Space Weapons?
The new weapon system is divided into three categories: earth-to-space, space-to-space and space-to-earth.
Earth-to-space weapons pose current danger and include direct ascent anti-space satellite weapons, which the US, China, India and Russia have all tested and directed energy lasers and jammers.
Space-to-space satellites are placed into orbit and attack other satellites through direct kinetic impact or the use of high-frequency means.
Space-to-earth weapons include any orbiting asset that used either kinetic or non-kinetic means to attack terrestrial objects, according to the Centre for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation website.
The US military relies heavily on space-based assets to secure qualitative superiority over adversaries, making US space systems a prime target in any future conflict, as per the website.
All space systems include some form of ground-based component and if these are not adequately defended from attacks, including cyber, the space system could be at risk.
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