The US and the country’s military have begun to prepare for a future war in space – following threats from Russia and China.
Satellites with giant robotic arms, laser attacks and advanced microwaves could become part of warfare, according to Jesse Morehouse, brigadier general in the US defense.
– We are ready to fight tonight if we have to, he says.
The United States and the country’s military have begun to prepare for the possibility that in the future wars may take place in space. Earlier this year, NASA Chief Administrator Bill Nelson said the country is involved in a “space race” with China.
When the US and Japan met at a security meeting in Washington in January, the countries warned of the Chinese threat of attacks in and from space, writes The Guardian.
Now, Jesse Morehouse, brigadier general in the US Department of Defense’s Space Administration, says the US is well equipped for a war in space.
“Ready to fight tonight”
In connection with a meeting in London at the end of the week, he talked about how the threat from Russia and China’s vision of becoming the world’s dominant space power have caused the United States to start looking towards space.
– The US is ready to fight in space tonight if we have to. If someone were to threaten the United States, our interests or any of our allies with whom we have defense agreements, we are ready to fight tonight, he said at a press conference according to the newspaper.
Today, satellites play a major role in people’s everyday lives. Banking systems, weather systems and communications all rely heavily on what happens up in space.
Russia, China, the United States and India are the four countries that have so far tested shooting down satellites with weapons from Earth. The United States banned such tests last year, partly because objects shot up in space could affect other spacecraft.
– When you create space junk in that way, it lingers in orbit for decades. It’s almost like detonating a nuclear weapon in your own backyard, says Jesse Morehouse.
China’s satellite has robotic arm
The Guardian writes that both Russia and China have started projects with the aim of producing craft that will be able to attack in space.
In recent years, China has developed a satellite with a robotic arm, something that James Dickinson, commander of the US Department of Defense’s Space Administration, warned about two years ago.
– It can be used in future systems to grab other satellites, he said Deutsche Welle.
China is also working on developing systems that in the future will be able to place explosives on enemy satellites. At the press conference, Jesse Morehouse mentioned several other methods that could be used in a space war. Systems that disrupt satellite transmissions using laser attacks, chemical agents or advanced microwaves are all on the drawing board.
– We have a variety of capabilities that we can use and we will continue to develop our capabilities to maintain a credible and deterrent posture, he says.