Is there a threat of nuclear war in space?: The Kremlin is building nuclear space weapons – that’s why the US is so alarmed

According to reports from several US media outlets, US intelligence services received information on Wednesday evening about Russia’s new nuclear ambitions in space. These are new findings about Russian capabilities aimed at satellites in space. According to the New York Times, the US has already informed Congress and allies in Europe about Russia’s plans.

However, it is not clear at this point whether we are talking about a nuclear-powered anti-satellite system or actual nuclear weapons.

The weapons Russia is developing are not rockets that drop nuclear bombs from space on Earth. It concerns possible use against satellites of hostile states. Last year, the American think tank CSIS warned about Russian ambitions in space. Russia has developed weapons with lasers that can blind – and therefore hinder – enemy satellites.

Russian jammers have already been used against Western satellites. In addition, Russia destroyed a satellite with a ground-space system two years ago. At the time, Russia tested its own satellite Kosmos 1408, which had been in orbit since 1982. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (61) condemned this test as “irresponsible”. The use of space-based nuclear weapons would represent a new escalation.

Satellites bring light into the darkness of war zones. This is of course a thorn in the side of warring parties – such as Russia. The war in Ukraine shows this: through commercial satellites such as Starlink or Maxar, Ukraine was able to show Russian atrocities in Bucha, for example. Or evidence that the destroyed theater in Mariupol actually housed civilians.

Communications and photography satellites also give the warring parties a strategic advantage. Because they can better track the movements of enemy forces. These technologies are fatal for Russia, because the country itself does not have such technology. No wonder, then, that destroying foreign satellites is a priority for Russia.

Military operations in space are in principle not prohibited. However, an attempt to launch a nuclear-armed anti-satellite system into space would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which Russia also signed. The treaty expressly prohibits the introduction into orbit of “objects containing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction.”

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The problem: Russia could withdraw from the treaty. Under Kremlin leader Putin, the country has already withdrawn from many Cold War arms control treaties. Just last November, Russia withdrew from two arms treaties: the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

The US currently cannot defend itself and its satellites against new Russian space weapons. And certainly not waging a space war against Russia. Former President Donald Trump (77) founded the US Space Force during his term in office to be more offensive in space. But so far the military unit only has defensive weapons.

The US military can already jam other satellites so much that their signals no longer reach the ground. Lasers on Earth can blind or even damage cameras and other sensitive instruments on board satellites. This means that if Russia attacks US satellites, the US can at least somewhat defend itself.

The short answer: No – or at least not yet. Concerns about the use of nuclear weapons in space date back fifty years; It was even a theme in some Star Trek episodes. The US experimented with versions of this technology, but never implemented it. This shows that the development of such weapons takes a lot of time.

Russia has also been experimenting with these nuclear space weapons for years. But they are not yet ready for use, the American secret services reassure.