Russia’s nuclear space threat: what might be happening

Russia may be developing a nuclear-powered weapon designed for deployment in space, with the goal of disabling enemy satellites and disrupting satellite communications and navigation in the event of war, according to a report by Ekonomichna Pravda.

Western intelligence and satellite images suggest the weapon might not destroy satellites directly, but could use nuclear energy to jam signals or damage electronics. 

“The exact nature of Russia’s anti-satellite system remains unclear,” the article reads. “However, analysts suggest that Moscow may use nuclear energy not to destroy satellites outright, but to jam their signals or fry their electronics.”

The suspected target: U.S. satellite systems. While such a weapon wouldn’t harm people directly, it could cripple communications, navigation, phone networks, and financial systems. 

“The possibility of Russia placing nuclear weapons in space raises serious concerns about the security of vital military systems, phone networks, financial transactions, and global investment in space infrastructure — even as Putin denies any such plans,” the article reads.

The Federation of American Scientists believes there are three possible motives for Russia: to develop new types of weapons to counter U.S. military superiority; to create a geopolitical insurance policy in case of a U.S. attack; and to strike U.S. satellite infrastructure in advance of a conflict to force concessions or prepare the ground for a large-scale offensive.

Though the threat of a nuclear strike in space isn’t new, “the Soviet Union conducted four such tests in the early 1960s at altitudes above 100 kilometers — considered the edge of outer space. Two of the tests occurred during the Cuban Missile Crisis,” the article says. 

Read the full article at this link.