In the midst of Russia igniting tensions in Europe, it, along with its ally the CCP, have developed space weapons in violation of UN treaties, posing a threat to space peace. The United States established the Space Force five years ago and is arming itself in various ways to prepare for the possibility of space warfare.
On February 24, 2022, one hour before Russia invaded Ukraine, it launched a cyber-attack against the satellite communications company Viasat Inc. (VSAT), causing disruption to internet services for thousands of Ukrainians and Europeans, and affecting wind power facilities in Europe. This move was aimed at disrupting Kyiv’s command and control in the early stages of the conflict.
This cyber-attack highlighted how satellites have become critical targets during wartime, playing an increasingly important role in deploying troops, running communications, and launching or detecting weapons.
While countries manufacture satellites, they are also developing technologies that could disrupt or destroy enemy satellites, such as launching jamming and deceptive signals, using high-power lasers to interfere with imaging sensors, using anti-satellite missiles or spacecraft to interfere with enemy satellites in geosynchronous orbit. Analysts say leading countries like the United States, Russia, and China can utilize these anti-satellite technologies to target each other’s satellites.
In February of this year, US President Biden publicly confirmed Russia’s development of new nuclear anti-satellite capabilities. Officials from the Biden administration emphasized that the weapon is still in development and has not entered orbit. However, if Russia deploys it, it will cross a dangerous Rubicon in nuclear weapon history and could cause extreme disruption to daily life in unpredictable ways.
This new weapon will generate electromagnetic pulses and a large number of highly charged particles, tearing through space and disrupting other satellites orbiting the Earth.
A US official stated: “The biggest concern for any electromagnetic pulse device ultimately operating on orbit is that it could render much of the area of a specific orbit unusable,” as it would create a minefield of failed satellites, “which is dangerous for any new satellites we might attempt to put up. We would need to replace or repair existing satellites.”
In May of this year, Russia was again revealed to be developing space weapons. US Acting Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood stated at the UN, “On May 16, Russia launched a satellite into low Earth orbit and the United States assesses that this satellite may be an anti-satellite weapon capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit… Russia has deployed this new type of anti-satellite weapon to the same orbit as US government satellites.”
Former Director of Operations at the US Indo-Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center in Hawaii, Carl Schuster, told The Epoch Times that Russia’s space weapon violates the Outer Space Treaty signed by the United Nations. “The treaty was signed by the Soviet Union (the precursor of the Russian Federation). In addition, Russia’s actions would destroy every nation’s space-based systems, generating millions of fragments that could render the entire orbital belt unusable for months to years.”
The treaty mentioned by Schuster is the Outer Space Treaty, which was deliberated by the UN Legal Subcommittee in 1966 and passed at the UN General Assembly the same year. The treaty stipulates that “States Parties shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner.”
In addition to Russia allegedly violating the Outer Space Treaty, the CCP is also suspected of covertly developing space weapons.
In 2007, China launched a missile into space, reaching an altitude of about 500 miles, to shoot down one of its own aging weather satellites. This action broke a decades-long taboo on destructive anti-satellite missile tests post-Cold War. Analysts believe that since then, China has conducted numerous non-destructive missile tests, potentially enhancing its ability to target satellites. According to the Secure World Foundation, China’s most recent anti-satellite missile test was in April of last year, although similar to other tests, Beijing described it as a missile interception technology test.
US experts also point out that China is developing “jamming devices to target a wide range of satellite communications” and has “multiple ground-laser systems.”
Experts state that China’s other actions in space are difficult to categorize explicitly as weapons research but may have military purposes. For example, the “Experiment-7” satellite launched in 2013 may be equipped with a robotic arm. In 2021, Chinese military engineer Zang Jihui revealed that China’s satellites are equipped with robotic arms capable of changing orbits and conducting comprehensive surveillance on other satellites.
Schuster states that in the space race, compared to Russia, China’s methods are more subtle.
“Beijing views satellite destruction as a last resort, preferring to disable enemy satellite functions while keeping the satellite itself intact, so that there are fewer fragments to deal with when forcing the enemy to abandon orbit, repair, or replace inoperable satellites. Therefore, China is testing signal interference, directed energy, and laser systems to counter low Earth orbit satellites, as well as satellite-based interference and laser systems for attacking high Earth orbit satellites. Beijing is also researching digital invasion strategies and procedures to infect enemy digital systems reliant on microwave towers and satellite data links. The PLA Air Force’s new Y-9LG is reported to possess this capability.”
The Chinese military’s new special missions aircraft that appeared in the China-Thailand military exercise ending in September is identified as the Shaanxi Y-9LG. The aircraft has potential for long-range electronic warfare (EW) applications. Its external antenna configuration indicates it has long-range jamming capabilities.
Schuster states that the United States’ precision weapons and concept of “cyber warfare” are predicated on the availability and reliability of satellite intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and navigation systems, and thus efforts by China and Russia pose a significant threat to US and Western satellite systems.
Faced with the aggressive development of space weapons by China and Russia, threatening space peace, the United States is intensifying its military preparations to confront potential space wars.
The Trump administration established the Space Force in December 2019. It is one of the eight military branches in the United States.
US Chief of Space Operations Chance Saltzman told The Wall Street Journal in September that the US Space Force is investigating how to target enemy assets in space. However, he stated that the US will not use missiles to destroy another satellite because the resulting space debris could also damage US or allied spacecraft.
One year after China launched a missile to shoot down its own weather satellite, the United States followed suit in 2008 by launching a missile to shoot down its malfunctioning satellite. Subsequently, Washington pledged not to carry out destructive, direct ascent ASAT missile tests, as such testing could generate dangerous space debris.
The US currently has a recognized, operational anti-satellite system – electronic warfare capabilities to jam satellite signals. According to the Secure World Foundation’s report, the US has also conducted extensive research on ground-based lasers that can dazzle or blind imaging satellites, but there is no evidence that these lasers have been deployed.
Furthermore, based on the Secure World Foundation’s report, the US has conducted extensive non-destructive testing on technologies for close proximity and rendezvous operations with satellites, including approaching its own military satellites and several Russian and Chinese military satellites. Therefore, in the future, the US could swiftly deploy an operational plan using satellites or spacecraft to target satellites from within orbit if needed.
General Whiting of the US Space Command stated at a meeting in August, “We need space power to establish space superiority.”
Whiting issued his strategic vision to the command on February 20th: “By 2027, USSPACECOM will have dynamic, cooperative and collaborative capabilities for space operations and cross-regional missile defense to support increased lethality and effectiveness of joint forces, while protecting them from space attacks, expanding our advantage over competitors, and successfully fighting in various levels of conflicts when facing threats, deterring aggression and defeating enemies.”
The US Space Command vows to be fully prepared by 2027. Whiting stated in April, “Everyone in USSPACECOM is focused on improving all of our existing forces and capabilities so that we can seamlessly merge them when needed.”