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.
Did bootleg Goldeneye VHS tapes finally make it into Russia?
Great, now they want to fuck up space too. Earth isn’t enough it seems.
When will this madness finally stop? :( I’m just trying to survive here…
This rhetoric is being pushed to scare people into renewing FISA (domestic spying legislation).
I wouldn’t believe “hard-right” repubs any farther than I could throw them.
They are running cover for Putin.
The Americans already did this by accident in the 50s.
What event was that?
It’d sure be a lot different today.
Starfish prime, I think they’re built to survive EMP blasts like the ones that would come from solar flares so a nuke probably do a lot less damage now.
“Russia wants to be murderfucked by the rest of the globe”
Isn’t that just a regular nuclear explosion in space? I don’t think there’s too much of development needed.
Last time I checked almost every major player just agreed we don’t do that to not fuck up our future.
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?
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)
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.
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.
“Fuck the consequences” sounds exactly like a Putin strategy to me.
I don’t think Russia is stupid enough to launch a FFA nuclear strike against every nation’s satellites. While the USA has a bunch, China would lose a bunch, India, Russia would lose the ability to operate drones.
I just don’t see a situation where Russia does this and China is just indifferent and sides with the country that destroyed billions in satellite equipment.
“If I can’t win, neither of us do.”
Russia has been proven to be stupid enough the last few years
Most military and intelligence satellites are already hardened against EMP, so all Russia would accomplish is destroying a lot of un shielded commercial and scientific satellites that would then start a Kessler effect chain of destruction, including their own satellites.
This a pure, dumb fear mongering.
Would the ensuing cascade of failures/debris take down the hardened satellites?
