The US has recently warned its allies that Russia may launch either a live nuclear weapon or a mock warhead into space as early as this year, according to unnamed sources familiar with the matter who spoke with Bloomberg.
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Russia is reportedly developing an orbital capability to disable satellites using a nuclear device. Deploying such a nuclear warhead in space would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which Russia signed.
This revelation comes on the heels of warnings earlier this month from the House Intelligence Committee chairman about a serious but vague security threat posed by Russia. President Biden later stated that Russia has been working on an anti-satellite space weapon that does not directly endanger human lives.
The White House declined to comment. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Tuesday that "We have always been and remain opposed to the deployment of nuclear weapons in space. In space, we are only doing what other countries, including the US, have done."
Video: Putin says Russia is close to making cancer vaccine / Credit: Reuters
Experts and US officials say that this demonstrates the escalating competition between the US, Russia, and China to establish attack capabilities in Earth's orbit - a departure from Cold War era efforts to prevent the weaponization of space through arms control pacts.
Current assessments indicate Russia does not intend to detonate any orbital weaponry, the sources said. However, accidental detonation risks remain, which could potentially impact a third of satellites and severely disrupt communications networks globally.
The effects would depend on the size of the warhead and need not necessarily entail satellite destruction, but could involve disruptions requiring error corrections, according to one source familiar with space weapons.
As of April 2022, there were nearly 7,800 operational satellites in orbit. The US and allies are attempting to deter Russia's deployment plans via diplomatic engagement with China and India.
Another determining factor would be the altitude of any explosion. Most commercial satellites occupy low-Earth orbits below 2,000 km (1200 miles). Experts say a nuclear blast there could have devastating impacts on regional satellite infrastructure for months.
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