Russia is trying to develop a nuclear space weapon that would destroy satellites by creating a massive energy wave when detonated, potentially crippling a vast swath of the commercial and government satellites that the world below depends on to talk on cell phones, pay bills, and surf the internet, according to three sources familiar with US intelligence about the weapon.
These sources gave CNN a more detailed understanding of what Russia is working on – and the threat it could pose – than the US government has previously disclosed.
Republican Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, set off a frenzy in Washington on Wednesday when he issued a statement saying his panel “had information concerning a serious national security threat.” By Friday, President Joe Biden had publicly confirmed that Turner was referring to a new Russian nuclear anti-satellite capability — but officials have steadfastly refused to discuss it further, citing the highly classified nature of the intelligence.
The weapon is still under development and is not yet in orbit, Biden administration officials have emphasized publicly. But if used, officials say, it would cross a dangerous rubicon in the history of nuclear weapons and could cause extreme disruptions to everyday life in ways that are difficult to predict.
This kind of new weapon — known generally by military space experts as a nuclear EMP — would create a pulse of electromagnetic energy and a flood of highly charged particles that would tear through space to disrupt other satellites winging around Earth.
So I guess no one told Russia about the Kessler effect? There is a movie, Gravity, that deals with it a bit.
Setting off a nuclear bomb in space to destroy multiple satellites I assume could start a chain reaction that would make it impossible for us to use earth orbits for future satellites or to even deliver any payloads at all into space.
Although might be good protection from aliens?
“Fuck the consequences” sounds exactly like a Putin strategy to me.
That probably not as true as you think. While yes there is radiation, the radiation would not linger as the atmosphere would dissipate most of the radiation
The EMP would shut off electronics for whatever country this thing is detonated over. Dependent on yield of course.
And of course the blast wave would knock many satellites, maybe even ISS, into unpredictable patterns. Most will burn up in the atmosphere, some of the most durable satellites will not. Some will ricochet to other satellites. It will be a regular FFA of countries trying to dodge space debris for the first 3 hours.
When the dust settles and citizens are without news, or internet, or sports, or podcasts, or entertainment what will happen then? I imagine not many citizens US or otherwise will be happy with Russia at all.
I would hope it is a nuclear powered laser or even a emp, as opposed to a nuclear bomb. With the Kessler syndrome and what not.
Good enough reason to queue it up from my playlist.
Was keeping it at the end when I thought it was just another heartbreak-in-space story. It’s nice to hear it actually has science that deviates from the normal rocket goes up, fuel leak detected, can’t fix, rocket goes boom, end of story. (minus the drama)