Russia is seeking to develop nuclear weapons for space. Whilst that is initially chilling, it should come as no surprise to political pundits or military strategists. The nuke ‘game’ was always going to leave terrestrial bounds and enter the global commons of space. A bellicose Russia, entrenched warfare in Ukraine, and a spreading thin of American resources in an ever-more contested world has sealed the deal. Not to mention the vulnerability of the 8400 satellites in orbit, of which about a third are for military purposes.
Thanks to a sensational warning relayed by Republicans on Capitol Hill, the world was apprised of the “national security threat” and left to wonder exactly what it meant. In the future could there be surface-launched missiles with nuclear payloads targeting satellites? Or is a persistent threat in the form of an orbiting nuclear-armed satellite about to be deployed? And just how soon is that ‘future’?
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