Central elements of science fiction films, they could soon make their debut in reality. Space weapons are booming among the major world powers. China, Russia and the United States would be ready to deploy new attack and defense tools in space to obtain sovereignty, reports Asia Times.
According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, China has already put nearly 1,000 satellites into orbit around Earth since 2010. These so-called dynamic satellites are capable of inspecting, moving and causing damage to others. Amazing tactical capabilities for satellites meant to be placed in geosynchronous orbit – that is, they are meant to move in the same direction and at the same speed as the Earth. These advanced tools are seen as a threat by other powers, who do not hesitate to do more.
The United States assumes its desire to impose itself militarily in space
The United States is particularly on alert. Chinese advances in space will lead to escalation in this area. Lieutenant General Douglas Schiess, commander of the US Army Space Forces, predicts “a dogfight in space” if the powers continue to test their military capabilities there. According to ARS Technica, American forces have officially integrated into their space doctrine the possibility of using weapons in space to defend themselves or attack other targets.
According to the Defense Scoop media, the Americans are working on tactical defense tools and spacecraft which should be tested by 2026 at the latest. The United States has been investing in the research and development of high-performance weapons and space vehicles for several years. Asia Times recalls in particular that the companies General Atomics, Lockheed Martin and Blue Origin are working on a nuclear propulsion system. This technique, which should be ready for initial tests next year, makes it possible to travel further, longer and with more cargo.
A glaring lack of rules to prevent and regulate war
The more the operational and tactical capabilities of the powers increase, the more space war seems possible. Rather than approaching space as a place to explore while carrying strictly defensive assets, nations could begin to see it as an area to deploy new military strategies. And terrestrial conflicts could then also be played out outside Earth.
If, as the United States accuses, Russia launched a satellite very close to another, American, this year, to destabilize it, this would bring the question of espionage and attempts at destabilization to the forefront. Russia has already started launching cyberattacks on satellites, including on February 24, 2022, the day of the invasion of Ukraine.
And that’s without mentioning more frontal attacks, based on missiles, which could also become widespread – China already has the capacity to launch them – if the escalation without rules continues. Because that is the whole problem: by focusing on operational capabilities and the development of new weapons, nations have forgotten to look at the rules of a possible space war.
In 1967, the Outer Space Treaty laid the foundations for space exploration. Signed and ratified by the three powers capable of now causing damage in this area, it still has great limits. This text prohibits weapons of mass destruction in space, but not other weapons. Given the progress of research in this area, there is little chance that nations will attempt to ban all types of weapons in space. At the risk of the whole world.
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