Weapons In Outer Space
Weapons In Outer Space
What is the classification of a space weapon?
Space weapons are a category of weaponry specifically designed for use in space warfare. These weapons can target space-based systems such as satellites (known as anti-satellite weapons), attack targets on Earth from space, or disable missiles traveling through space. The development of space weapons has largely been driven by the militarization of space during the Cold War, with competing superpowers investing in such technology. Even today, some space weapons are still under development.
Additionally, space weapons have become a popular theme in military science fiction and science fiction video games, where they are often depicted as powerful and advanced tools of warfare in futuristic settings. These fictional portrayals often explore the ethical, strategic, and technological implications of using weapons in the unique environment of outer space.
Space weapons can be classified into three types:
Space to Space Weapons
The Soviet Almaz program, a secret military space station program, was equipped with a fixed 23mm autocannon as a means of preventing hostile interception or boarding by enemy forces. This autocannon is known to be the first and only weapon to have been fired in space, although further verification is needed.
Additionally, the Soviet uncrewed Polyus weapons platform was designed to be equipped with a megawatt carbon-dioxide laser and a self-defense cannon. These advanced weapons were intended to provide self-defense capabilities for the Polyus platform in space
Earth to Space Weapons
Various countries, including the United States, the USSR/Russia, India, and the People's Republic of China, have developed anti-satellite weapons, which typically consist of surface-to-space and air-to-space missiles. Recent test programs by China and the U.S. have included multiple test firings that involved destroying orbiting satellites.
It's worth noting that the use of explosive and kinetic kill systems in space is generally limited to lower altitudes due to concerns about space debris and the potential for creating more debris from launch remnants in orbit. This consideration helps to minimize the risk of further cluttering Earth's orbit with space debris, which can pose a threat to other satellites and space missions.
Space to Earth Weapons
Orbital Weaponry
Orbital weaponry refers to weapons that are located in orbit around celestial bodies such as planets or moons. As of December 2022, there are no known operational orbital weapons systems, but several nations have deployed orbital surveillance networks for observing other nations or armed forces. The United States and the Soviet Union developed several orbital weaponry systems during the Cold War, and during World War II, Nazi Germany had plans for an orbital weapon called the Sun gun, which was an orbital mirror intended to focus and weaponize sunlight beams.
The development of orbital weaponry was largely halted after the implementation of the Outer Space Treaty and the SALT II treaty, which prohibit the placement of weapons of mass destruction in space. However, other types of weapons, such as kinetic bombardment systems, may not violate these treaties. As a result, some private groups and government officials have proposed a Space Preservation Treaty that would ban the placement of any weaponry in outer space to ensure peaceful and cooperative use of space resources.
Orbital Bombardment
Orbital bombardment refers to the act of attacking targets on a planet, moon, or other celestial object from orbit around that object, rather than from an aircraft or a platform beyond orbit. It has been proposed as a means of attack for various weapons systems, including kinetic bombardment and as a delivery system for nuclear warheads.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union deployed a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System from 1968 to 1983. This system allowed for a nuclear warhead to be placed in low Earth orbit and de-orbited to strike any location on the Earth's surface. However, the Soviets were prohibited by the Outer Space Treaty from placing live warheads in space, and the system was phased out in compliance with the SALT II treaty of 1979, which banned the deployment of systems capable of placing weapons of mass destruction in partial orbit.
Orbital bombardment systems with conventional warheads are permitted under the terms of SALT II. Some proposed systems rely on large tungsten carbide/uranium cermet rods dropped from orbit, using kinetic energy rather than explosives, but their massive size makes transportation to orbit impractical.
As of 2020, the only known instance of true orbital bombardment in history was executed for scientific purposes. In April 2019, the Japanese Hayabusa2 robotic space probe released an explosive device called an "impactor" from space onto the surface of asteroid 162173 Ryugu, in order to collect debris released by the explosion. The mission was successful, and Hayabusa2 retrieved valuable samples of the celestial body, which were brought back to Earth.
