Recently, US officials said that Russia launched a satellite into space in February 2022, with the aim of testing a new type of anti-satellite weapon component that can carry nuclear weapons.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, May 16, US officials stated that this is related to Russia’s ongoing anti-satellite nuclear program. In recent months, Russia’s anti-satellite nuclear program has increasingly raised concerns among the Biden administration, Congress, and relevant experts. If such nuclear weapons are deployed, Russia would have the capability to destroy hundreds of satellites in near-Earth orbit through nuclear explosions.
The satellite, named Cosmos-2553, was launched on February 5, 2022, and is currently orbiting the Earth on an unusual trajectory. US officials stated that it has been secretly operating as a non-nuclear component in the development of a new weapon system, which Russia has not yet deployed.
Russia claims that the satellite is intended for scientific research, but US officials say this claim is not credible. They mentioned that although the US has been aware of Russia’s interest in developing nuclear anti-satellite weapons for many years, it was only recently that the progress of this program was confirmed.
US officials stated that if these nuclear weapons were deployed in Earth’s orbit, they could potentially destroy some of the US government and commercial satellites, including SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, which have proven to be crucial in the Ukraine conflict.
Earlier details about this research satellite had never been reported, underscoring Washington’s recent concerns about Russia’s nuclear space ambitions. In February of this year, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Mike Turner issued a vague statement, claiming that the US faced an unspecified “serious national security threat” and called on President Biden to declassify relevant information, sparking attention to the issue.
The White House later confirmed that Russia is developing what they termed “disturbing” anti-satellite capabilities. While US officials described this as a serious issue, they stated that it does not pose a threat to American security, as the weapon has not been deployed in space and has no intention of targeting objects on Earth.
An insider described the launched satellite as a prototype of a weapon, while others indicated that Russia’s progress in this program has not been significant.
In February, the Kremlin dismissed reports that Russia was developing a nuclear anti-satellite system as fabricated. Russian President Putin stated earlier this month, “Our position is clear and transparent: we have always been and remain firmly opposed to the deployment of nuclear weapons in space.”
Last month, the US and Japan requested a vote from the UN Security Council on a resolution confirming the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits placing nuclear weapons in Earth’s orbit. However, Russia vetoed the resolution, claiming it failed to ban all types of space weapons.
US efforts to directly discuss concerns about Russia’s anti-satellite program with Russian officials have also been rebuffed, according to US officials.
Earlier this month, US Assistant Secretary of State Mallory Stewart questioned Russia’s explanations publicly during a speech, without specifying which satellite she was referring to.
“The area where the orbit lies has no other satellites in use, which is already somewhat unusual,” she said in a speech at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, “The orbit is a region higher in radiation than normal low Earth orbit, but the radiation environment is not high enough to conduct electronic equipment testing as described by Russia.”
Stewart stated that the US had been aware of Russia’s pursuit of this capability for years but only recently could more accurately assess its progress.
According to satellite tracking experts, Cosmos-2553 is still operating in orbit. Spokespersons for the US intelligence community and National Security Council declined to discuss this satellite or its relationship with Moscow’s anti-satellite program.
For decades, US intelligence officials have been concerned about the space capabilities of Russia and China, viewing satellites as vulnerable targets in any major conflict with adversaries.
In recent years, as satellites have become increasingly integral to military and global communication systems, these concerns have grown stronger.
The Pentagon is increasingly reliant on commercial satellites, unlike military and intelligence satellites, commercial satellites generally cannot withstand the intense radiation of a nuclear blast.
Russia’s anti-satellite nuclear devices could be used to threaten satellites in near-Earth orbit, where US companies and government agencies operate more satellites than any other country. According to data from space data company LeoLabs, as of the end of April, nearly 6,700 US satellites were operating in this space. China has 780 satellites there, while Russia has 149.
Most US satellites are reported to be part of the SpaceX Starlink network. The US Space Development Agency, part of the Space Force, is developing a new satellite network to provide missile tracking and other military services in near-Earth orbit (typically at altitudes not exceeding 1,200 miles).
“This is the ‘Cuban Missile Crisis’ in space,” Turner said in a recent interview referring to Russia’s plans.
For the Pentagon, having a cluster of satellites closer to Earth can enhance flexibility, as if an adversary destroyed any single satellite, the entire network could still operate and provide services to the military. However, Russia’s nuclear anti-satellite devices could change the game.
Outgoing senior space policy official at the Pentagon, John Plumb, stated that using such nuclear weapons could destroy or damage satellites not hardened against nuclear explosions. He said that this weapon could render near-Earth orbit unusable for a period, potentially up to a year.
Recently, he informed Congress that Russian space nuclear weapons would be a “indiscriminate weapon.” This weapon “knows no bounds, has no differentiation between military, civilian, or commercial satellites.”