On Wednesday, a high-ranking official from the Defence Department informed lawmakers that Russia is in the process of developing an “indiscriminate” anti-satellite nuclear weapon, which would endanger all satellites, regardless of the country or company operating them.
US’ Concerns
John Plumb, the assistant secretary of defence for space policy, said at a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing that Russia is “developing a concerning anti-satellite capability related to a new satellite carrying a nuclear device.” He added that the US is concerned about being “unable to convince them otherwise to ultimately fly a nuclear weapon in space”.
Talking about the potential effect of such a weapon, Plumb said that low-Earth orbit — the most common orbit for satellites — would be rendered “unusable” for possibly up to a year because of the radiation from a nuclear detonation. When asked if the threat was looming, Plumb said it was “imminent in the way that we should have to worry about it right now.”
“We're at a pivotal moment in space,” says @DeptofDefense’s Dr. John Plumb.
— Atlantic Council (@AtlanticCouncil) April 27, 2023
“We can't keep space as a safe, stable, and secure domain on our own. So, we're going to need to work with our allies and partners.”#ForwardDefense
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Plumb also noted that the Pentagon and the “entire” Biden administration were concerned about the development.
While he said it is difficult to estimate the precise impact of such a weapon depending on the size of a nuclear explosion, he said a rough assessment would suggest that “satellites that aren’t hardened against a nuclear detonation [in] space, which is most satellites, could be damaged and affected, and some would be caught in an immediate blast.”
Context
Plumb’s remarks follow Russia’s veto last week of a US-based resolution at the UN on the issue. The resolution called on all states to reaffirm their commitment to comply with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. It also urged members to actively contribute to the goal of peaceful use and the prevention of an extraterrestrial arms race.
The veto prompted Washington to question whether Moscow was concealing something. “Today’s veto begs the question: Why? Why if you are following the rules would you not support a resolution that reaffirms them? What could you possibly be hiding?” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council after the vote.
Notably, China abstained from the vote.