IS IT TIME FOR A NEW OUTER SPACE TREATY? REPORTS OF A RUSSIAN NUCLEAR SPACE WEAPON RAISE QUESTIONS

With space technology able to be used as weaponry, how can we stop Earth orbit from becoming a war zone?

In February 2024, reports of a planned Russian nuclear space weapon renewed Cold Warera fears of the militarisation of Earth orbit. The furore began when US House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Turner issued a public statement asking President Joe Biden to declassify all information relating to a space-based nuclear weapon that Russia is reportedly developing. White House national security communications advisor John F. Kirby assured the public that “though Russia’s pursuit of this particular capability is troubling, there is no immediate threat to anyone’s safety. We are not talking about a weapon that can be used to attack human beings or cause physical destruction here on Earth.” It remains unclear if the potential Russian capability concerns a nuclear warhead in space or a nuclearpowered anti-satellite weapon of some kind.

Nevertheless, the reported Russian nuclear space weapon ignited discussions about the Outer Space Treaty, an international agreement that set the norms for behaviour in space. The Outer Space Treaty was created in response to the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, which travel through space on their way towards their targets. But since then, space-faring superpowers have developed many other spacecraft and weapon capabilities designed to attack satellites from Earth, threaten other spacecraft from orbit or even launch attacks on groundbased targets from space. The US, Soviet Union and UK were the first three nations to enter the treaty in 1967, and today 114 countries have signed it.

In light of these developments, many policymakers and experts are wondering if it is time for a new Outer Space Treaty. Sharon Squassoni is a George Washington University professor of international affairs whose research focuses on reducing risks from nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. When it comes to the possibility of a new treaty to ban their development or deployment, Squassoni said that Russia today suffers from credibility issues that could stall international cooperation. “The real problem is that even small steps related to transparency or confidencebuilding are virtually impossible, because Putin will reject them as long as he is engaged in war against Ukraine,” Squassoni said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Squassoni added that Russia’s reported development of a nuclear space weapon is ironic given the nation has historically been at the forefront of establishing arms control in outer space.

In 2008, Russia and China even submitted a joint draft of a new treaty to the United Nations that would build upon the Outer Space Treaty, obligating nations to “refrain from placing objects carrying any type of weapon into orbit, installing weapons on celestial bodies and threatening to use force against objects in outer space.” But the new treaty did not gain widespread international support. “The US and other states opposed it for substantive reasons,”

Squassoni said. “A modest agreement prohibiting placing any kind of weapons in orbit could be useful, but traditionally the sticking point has been the need to include ground-based anti-satellite capabilities.”

MILITARY SATELLITE USES AND VULNERABILITIES

COMMUNICATIONS

Often found in high geostationary orbits, these enable militaries to command forces in real time anywhere around the world.

POSITIONING

Equipment such as GPS allows the position of a person or device to be pinpointed to within just a metre (3.3 feet) or so.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS

High-altitude nuclear tests could destroy satellites in low-Earth orbit due to the electromagnetic pulse they create.

EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

These satellites closely monitor launch sites around the world and send out alerts if any missile launches take place.

BLOCKING

On the ground, people can use jammers to try and block the signals from satellites, such as those used for navigation.

DIRECT ENERGY WEAPONS

Lasers on the ground could be used to push a satellite out of orbit or render it inoperable by destroying some of its electronics.

RECONNAISSANCE

These lower orbiting satellites take images for surveillance purposes, meaning highresolution pictures of sites of interest can be snapped.

SHOOTING DOWN

On rare occasions, a satellite could be shot down to prevent it operating. China conducted such an anti-satellite test in 2007.

HARPOONS AND NETS

Smaller satellites employing a net, harpoon or other such tech could be used to de-orbit other larger satellites and send them into the atmosphere.