The American press wrote that the Russians were developing space nuclear weapons to destroy American satellites. How serious is it? Why did you take nuclear weapons into space? What would it be useful for? “For the insidious prestige and immediate deactivation of satellites near the explosion due to the electromagnetic pulse emitted during the detonation, as well as the formation of fragments after future collisions with other satellites,” physicist Claudio Tenaselia told HotNews.ro. Should we be worried? What kind of weapon could it be?

With nuclear weapons in space – Russian madness?

The American press wrote that Russia will develop military space potential and conduct tests of powerful weapons that will be able to seriously damage satellite networks in orbit. Publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post or Reuters wrote a lot about this “space-based nuclear weapon”. It should be said from the outset that there is a lot of speculation because we don’t know what kind of weapon it will be or if it even exists.

The Americans speak of an “imminent threat to national security.”

Sources also say the Russians have experimented with using nuclear explosions or energy directed to disable Western satellites. Some experts have expressed concern in the past that a state could detonate a nuclear weapon in space with the aim of disrupting satellites due to radiation emissions.

• “Moscow wants to take nuclear weapons into space” – ABC / US official declares “serious threat to national security” attributed to Russia

I asked physicist Claudio Teneselia what would be the effects of a massive explosion in space and what physicists say about the impact on satellites? There could be serious consequences, but it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which all communication satellites would be immediately destroyed.

“At Earth’s orbit, the atmosphere is too thin for a nuclear explosion to cause a shock wave dangerous to satellites, but such an explosion would generate an electromagnetic pulse that would likely knock out a number of nearby satellites. These disabled satellites will no longer be steerable and will likely collide with other satellites or other fragments in the future, creating even more orbital debris. Of course, there is the possibility that the weapon could be detonated near military satellites of other nations, further complicating the situation. However, it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which all communication satellites will be immediately destroyed, but this does not mean that the consequences of this action will not be as serious as possible.

Concerns about the possible placement of nuclear weapons in orbit have existed for more than 50 years, and the theme was also used in the Star Trek series in the late 1960s. US military officials have warned in recent years that both Russia and China are moving to further militarization of outer space and invest billions in it. Obviously, the USA also invested a lot.

The idea of ​​”war in space” is not new, nor is the idea of ​​destroying satellites. How worried should we be? Wouldn’t it be bad for Russia too if they destroyed the entire satellite system? Russia has no interest in making Earth’s orbit unusable, says Claudio Teneselia, especially since it needs its own satellites and has been launching satellites ever since it declared war on Ukraine. We can’t forget about China either.

“Russia is not interested in making Earth’s orbit unusable because it needs its own satellites”

“The use of nuclear weapons in space is not new, such tests were carried out in the 60s and were carried out by the USA (Starfish Prime). There are currently international treaties that prohibit the use of weapons, conventional or nuclear, in orbit (although Russia attacked Ukraine despite being a signatory to the Budapest Memorandum, so violating an international treaty to which it is a signatory does not seem to is still a problem for Russia)”.

“Russia is not interested in making the Earth’s orbit unusable: Russia needs its own satellites, especially at this time, more than at any time in recent decades. In the last two months alone, Russia has launched two secret military satellites, about which we do not know many details. And China has recently invested a lot in space activities, I don’t think it would be entirely happy with the idea of ​​its military or civilian satellites becoming collateral victims of a Russian nuclear test,” Claudio Tenaselia explains to HotNews.ro. .

Russia also tested an anti-satellite weapon in 2021, when it launched a missile from Earth that destroyed a defunct Soviet-era satellite. Now the threat looks much more serious as Russia is reportedly developing technology to prevent the US and other allied nations from using their own satellites.

It is not known what kind of nuclear weapon it is and whether it exists at all. However, what could it be if we have to speculate a little? Claudio Teneselia says that we can talk about satellites with a nuclear reactor on board.

“However, it should be emphasized that we still do not know whether we are dealing with Russia’s intention to use nuclear weapons in orbit. We only have some unconfirmed rumors. It is possible that these are satellites with a nuclear reactor on board, for power generation and/or propulsion, an aspect that does not violate any international agreement (although this raises some questions about the fate of the satellite at the end of the mission). We have to find out more information in the next period.”

“At least in theory, a nuclear explosion in orbit can immediately disable more satellites than conventional weapons”

Why did you take nuclear weapons into space? What would it be useful for? Physicist Claudio Teneselia explains that nuclear weapons placed in orbit are vulnerable immediately after launch.

“To the insidious prestige and immediate deactivation of satellites near the explosion due to the electromagnetic pulse emitted during the detonation, as well as the formation of fragments from future collisions with other satellites or other fragments. There are no other advantages. Putting a nuclear weapon into orbit and then targeting a ground object makes absolutely no sense, it is an extremely difficult action, especially for a country that already has ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads that it can launch at any time. A nuclear weapon placed in orbit is visible from Earth and its trajectory is predictable, making it vulnerable immediately after launch.”

If you want to shoot down satellites, why NOT do it with conventional weapons that have been around for a long time?

“At least in theory, a nuclear explosion in orbit could immediately disable more satellites than a conventional weapon (one missile would be needed for each target satellite), but it would cost even more over time, so it would also affect the country’s satellites, which would arranged such an explosion.”

Are studies conducted on the consequences of a nuclear weapon explosion in space?

“The United States conducted several such tests in the 1960s, and the effects on the ground were so dangerous that the tests were suspended. Let’s not forget that in those years the number of satellites was much smaller, but if the altitude at which a nuclear explosion occurs is several hundred kilometers (low Earth orbit), the consequences will definitely be felt on Earth,” says Claudio. Tănăselia.

Some headlines in the international press on this topic

Washington Post: Officials sound the alarm over new Russian “space threat”

New York Times: Russia’s progress in developing space-based nuclear weapons worries the US

Reuters: US warned allies about Russian space and nuclear potential, source says

Telegraph: The US fears that Russia is preparing to launch a nuclear weapon into space

Photo source: Dreamstime.com