A Russian antagonist and a space-based nuclear weapon. Today’s column is not a throwback to Cold War era red scare film, this is an actual concern aired by the United States. Multiple reports coming in this week said that Russia is making advances in space-based nuclear weapons that are aimed at destroying other satellites, both civilian and military, a National news media agency reported.
CNN said that Russia is trying to develop a nuclear space weapon that can destroy satellites by creating a massive energy wave when detonated. Such a weapon could be used to wipe out hordes of satellites that are used for communications, financial transactions and more. It could also wipe out crucial defence and surveillance satellites that belong to the United States and its allies.
If Russia were to develop and deploy such a weapon, it would be in violation of Article 4 of the Outer Space Treaty, which bans nuclear weapons from being put into orbit, installed on any celestial body or even stationed in outer space in any other manner, even on a satellite. It will also be in contravention of the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963 that prohibits nuclear explosions in space. Russia is party to both treaties.
As the rumours have it, Russia is still developing the weapon and it is nowhere close to deploying it but there is a good reason why it has America worried — there is nothing to defend against it. Just like the space nuclear weapon is far from reality now, so is any kind of system that can protect satellites and other crucial space assets from it. Whoever puts such a weapon in space will kick off a new space arms race.
