Russia’s Secret Nuclear Space Weapon Revealed: Expert Raises Alarm
Reports that Russia could be developing a nuclear anti-satellite weapon have sparked concern among space experts. Nuclear space weapon expert Dr. Michael Mulvihill recently revealed his own concerns in a piece for The Conversation.
The Concerns of Space Experts
The expert from Teesside University explained in his article that “a nuclear attack on space infrastructure would also indiscriminately affect life on Earth.” He added that this “would have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable nations in the global south.”
Impact on Vulnerable Nations
This is because these nations rely the most on space systems for things like food security and water supply management. Such space systems are also used to provide internet access, an example of this being Elon Musk’s Starlink network.
Risk of Retaliation and Escalation
Dr. Mulvihill warned that a nuclear space attack would also risk retaliation and an escalation towards nuclear war. The expert is calling for the United Nations to reaffirm a 50-year international commitment.
Reaffirming the 1967 Outer Space Treaty
This commitment is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (OST). Both the US and Japan are said to be calling for this to be reaffirmed by the UN Security Council. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the country does not intend to violate the OST. Russia is one of the 114 nations that supports the treaty already.
History of Nuclear Anti-Satellite Weapons
The idea of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon isn’t new though. Rumors and reports of these weapons have been cropping up since the Cold War in the 1960s.
Status of Russia’s Space Weapon
With regards to the rumored weapon that Russia is said to be making, The White House claims it is not operational. It’s also not said to pose an immediate threat to humanity.
Terrifying Space Weapons of the Future
Here are three of the scariest futuristic space weapons:
- Rods from God
- A weapon based on the concept of creating man-made meteorites to be guided towards the enemy.
- Rods the size of telephone poles are deployed, made of tungsten to withstand intense heat.
- These rods are aimed at targets on the ground at speeds of 7000mph, with the force of a small nuclear weapon.
- Molten Metal Cannons
- Developed by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) called the Magneto Hydrodynamic Explosive Munition.
- It fires a jet of molten metal through space at several hundred miles per second to pierce through other spacecraft or satellites.
- Space Force Ships
- The United States is developing the top-secret American XS-1 spacecraft, capable of traveling ten times the speed of sound.
- China is also developing its own unmanned spacecraft at the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Centre.
By staying informed about potential space threats, experts and policymakers can work towards maintaining global security and peace.