Alarming! Anti-Satellite Nuke In SPACE?US Blames Russia

For most humans on our planet, space is a symbol of scientific curiosity. Yet, a new tension has entered the sphere of space exploration recently, which might change the way how we view the space around Earth. The United States has accused Russia of developing a dangerous technology: An Anti-satellite Nuke, specifically to put in outer space.

Contents

The US-Russia Space Rivalry What is the Outer Space Treaty between nations?ASAT tests by India and China Renewed Space-arms Race: What’s bad in that?Is There a Way Out of This Space Mess?

The US is about to introduce a resolution at the UN Security Council. The resolution will urge all member states to neither develop, test or deploy nuclear-armed ASAT weapons.

However, Russia, accused of secretly developing such technology, has denied these claims, making the whole situation complex. Chances are, it might VETO the resolution too.

US accuses Russia of developing Anti-Satellite Nuke technology

Anti-satellite Nuke: Threat to Satellites

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, there are currently over 7,560 operational satellites orbiting Earth, providing vital services like:

Global Positioning Systems (GPS): Used by billions of people daily for navigation, from smartphones to commercial shipping. Countries like US, China, India etc. have their own navigation systems today.
Telecommunications: Opening the door to over 60% of global internet traffic and connecting remote areas.
Earth Observation: Monitoring weather patterns, environmental changes, and natural disasters, with a global market size, which might reach $5.54 billion by 2029.

Any nuclear blast in space can trigger a chain reaction known as Kessler Syndrome and it could cost the world trillions of dollars. The millions of pieces of debris from the destroyed satellite might collide with other objects in orbit, and a huge part of space around us will be unusable for decades or even centuries.

How will we safely launch spacecrafts then, to explore our solar system and beyond?

The US-Russia Space Rivalry

The history of the US-Russia space rivalry dates back to the early days of the Space Age. After the launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union in 1957, the two superpowers had a heated competition to beat each other in space exploration. This rivalry, fueled by Cold War tensions, resulted in many technological advancements, including the moon landing by the US in 1969.

What is the Outer Space Treaty between nations?

In the middle of their space race, the United States, USSR, and other nations signed the Outer Space Treaty in 1967. It prohibits the placement of weapons of mass destruction (including nuclear weapons) in Earth’s orbit or on celestial bodies like the Moon. But, it has a limitation too. It doesn’t clearly ban ground-based ASAT weapons that can destroy satellites in orbit.

This legal grey area is where the current tension lies. The US accuses Russia of developing ASAT missiles capable of launching small nuclear warheads. Russia denies these accusations, claiming their tests involve non-destructive methods to disable satellites.

ASAT tests by India and China

The US and Russia aren’t the only players in the space game anymore. India and China too, have thrown their anti-satellite missiles into the ring, raising concerns about a potential space arms race. China displayed its ASAT capabilities by conducting a test way back, in 2007 with a kinetic kill vehicle.

In 2019, India too, surprised everyone with “Mission Shakti,” successfully blowing up a satellite in Earth’s lower orbit with a kinetic weapon. This made India, the fourth country (after the US, Russia, and China) to possess this “anti-satellite” (ASAT) technology.

Till now, the ASAT technology has only stood as a warning to the enemies, but a renewed arms race might change this situation in the future.

Renewed Space-arms Race: What’s bad in that?

The development and deployment of Anti-satellite Nuke could lead to an unsafe space environment. Countries will create dedicated space forces, deploy defensive satellite shields, and weaponize other space technologies like lasers.
The fragile trust and cooperation that currently exists between spacefaring nations will be over. Maintaining the International Space Station (ISS) and joint scientific missions will become difficult, leading to less progress in space exploration and research.
The space economy is a booming sector, projected to reach a staggering $1.4 trillion by 2030 according to Morgan Stanley. A space arms race could create uncertainty and instability in this market, discouraging private investment and reducing innovation.
Any Anti-satellite Nuke will be a threat to not just economic prosperity but also human safety and well-being. The whole weather forecasting is satellite-based, without them, we cannot predict the disasters and save lives in time.

Is There a Way Out of This Space Mess?

The good news is, that there’s still time to avoid a full-blown space arms race. The bad news? It takes international cooperation, which can be tricky. Countries are working on treaties and agreements to prevent an arms race, but it’s an ongoing process. For now, let’s see what happens to the US resolution in the United Nations Security Council. The presence of nukes on Earth is already a continuous threat, an Anti-satellite Nuke in space would make things worse for humanity.