The threat of the use of nuclear weapons is regularly brandished by Moscow. Recently, Ukraine suffered one of its most remarkable attempts at intimidation during the bombing of Dnipro with a nuclear-capable ballistic missile whose warheads were inert. What also worries the Americans is that Russia could embed nuclear weapons in its vehicles in orbitorbit distant. This is not the first time that the Pentagon has closely eyed the worrying maneuvers of Russian satellites in space. It must be said that certain operations are intriguing.
This was the case at the end of 2022 with the change of orbit of an inoperative satellite to another of the Russian army called CosmosCosmos-2562. It is difficult to know what the latter contains, but this operation appeared suspicious enough for experts to wonder if it was not a question of testing an anti-satellite weapon.
But the most worrying thing for the Americans is above all a Russian spacecraft which is in orbit much further than most other satellites. Launched just before the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and pushed 400 kilometers above Earth, this Cosmos-2553 is officially supposed to test new instruments. But, according to information from New York Timesthe machine would also carry a dummy warhead. What to fear about the preparation of an anti-satellite nuclear weapon, according to American experts. For the moment, this information has not been denied by Moscow, which remains surprising.
Grand bluff spatial ?
It must be said that in April 2024, after observing several satellites which suggested that they could be armed, the United States attempted to have the UN adopt a resolution asking to reaffirm the provisions of the 1967 treaty. This treaty prohibits any object carrying weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, into orbit.
However, the only country to have voted against the project is Russia. Strange… However, at the time, Moscow considered this initiative as manipulative and the Kremlin completely denied the presence of such a weapon by considering this idea as ” completely absurd “. For Cosmos-2553, however, the country did not react, leaving doubt.
So fake warhead as intimidation? Nuclear weapon to destroy satellites being tested? If the presence of such a device raises questions, it remains unlikely that, despite its nuclear threats, the country intends to put such a weapon in place. It would not cause any damage on Earth apart from an electromagnetic pulse which would destroy numerous electronic and electrical devices.
A nuclear bomb in space? The Americans did it!
This is, in any case, the bad experience that the Americans encountered when in 1962 they had the absurd idea of detonating an atomic bomb in space. An experience they regret. Above all, the explosion of such a weapon to destroy satellites would be totally counterproductive. Unlike in 1962, there are thousands of satellites in orbit. However, the destruction of spacecraft considered enemies would also impact those of Russia and its allies.
Moscow had already tried the experiment by destroying one of its own satellites in 2021, with a missile fired from the ground. A very bad initiative which had endangered theISSISS due to debris. If there is an anti-satellite weapon, it should rather be a laser beam to blind opposing military satellites. This is also what France intends to test with its Toutatis program.
