Discussing reasonable ways to colonize our solar system

Another Space Cold War Developing?

Posted by on Apr 5, 2007 in Blog, Russia, Satellite, Space Weapons | 3 comments


Whether we like it or not, “weaponizing” space will become apart of our future. China’s ASAT test (whether intentional or not) seems to have given the green light for both the United States and Russia to seriously consider arming the heavens above us, provoking a future arms race well into the next century.

Russia (it seems) is already in the process of expanding its “space forces” role in securing its access to the cosmos, while the US Air force is debating on whether to arm every satellite or simply establish a ballistic missile network. All of this would be simply humorous if it were not for the simple fact that both nations are now starting to snipe at each other (pun not intended).

(MSNBC) Russian space experts are wondering whether the United States used an anti-satellite weapon last month to kill a small Russian research satellite, the Novosti news agency reported Wednesday. [...]

“There’s no way this is a credible story,” U.S. Navy Capt. James Graybeal, spokesman for the U.S. Strategic Command, told MSNBC.com. “We’ve checked with everybody, we have talked to everyone.”

It is doubtful that the US would intentionally destroy a commercial satellite, as that would be an excellent way of starting a war. Although the real reason probably lies on which company built the satellite, the fact that both nations are more geared towards “star wars” than “star trek,” does not exactly help out the situation.

Hopefully some sort of space alliance can be forged between the two, as the last thing our planet needs is a war above the heavens, as well as below it.

(Image Credit: Space 4 Peace)

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  • Brian Dunbar

    You know what worries me?

    Any sufficiently advanced propulsion system can be used as a weapon

    Jordin Kare wants to use lasers to launch rockets. LiftPort wants to use them to beam power to lifters climbing a space elevator. How many other proposals or launch rely on some really interesting technology that can also be thought of as weapons?

    The drive to outlaw weapons in space might be all very well – but beware that you could be outlawing low-cost launch systems as a second-order effect.

  • Darnell Clayton

    Hey Brian,

    That is definitely true. Almost anything used for good can be definitely spun for evil, and lets hope that civility and lots of “common sense” (which doesn’t seem to be that common) enables us to develop these fun toys without destroying ourselves in the process.

  • Alexander DeClama

    Darnell, I think you have it backwards. The Saturn V came from the V-2. Necessity is the mother of invention and nothing motivates like the need to kill someone before they kill you.